Life of a Clown Prince
by Infernokota
Summary: Lex Luthor had a theory that there are an infinite amount of universes, some just like our own with only one or two key events changed. The odds that in all of those universes the Joker didn't have a single heir are laughable at best.
1. Prologue

"Session #129, Patient #21401"

"Can we just get past the small talk, hm?"

"Starting with the snideness early, 214?"

"Oh, of course. Why wouldn't I? I'm in here instead of out there, I'm stuck in some box with a two-bit therapist, meanwhile, you ask silly questions as if you expected anything but snideness."

"You're oddly aggressive today, 214. Something bothering you?"

"Ha! That's a treat. I'm always bothered."

"Moreso today."

"If you must insist... I've been rather retrospective lately."

"Pardon?"

"Inflection. Years have come and go. It's important for a man of power to remember his roots... however I don't miss them. So, yes, retrospective."

"... 214, I want to try something new."

"Oh do you now?"

"I wanted to start from the beginning. Tell me your story."

"...What?"

"You heard me, I know that much You wanted to skip the small talk, didn't you?"

"You are aware that I am a diagnosed pathological liar, correct?"

"I've never expected the truth from you."

"You truly want to delve into this madness."

"If you won't cooperate with traditional methods, then madness is at least some progress."

"Well then, where should I begin?"

"It's your story. I want you to tell me your life. Tell me the life of the Clown Prince of Crime."

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome, welcome one and all to the extravagant, epic, mind-numbing tale of ours! I am your host, Infernokota (thank you, thank you).**

 **This is an idea that has existed on this site for quite a while now (two years). It never really gained traction even as I continuously added new, exciting chapters and I was befuddled. Why, my witty, hilarious, soul-wrenching, emotional writing is failing?! Then I discovered the fact of the matter- The earliest chapters were absolute shit. No, just ask and I will send you one of the first six. They're horrible. Anyways, if you're new here, this probably means nothing to you. But it is a current warning that from chapter 5 to chapter 11, the writing quality leaves a lot to be desired. I'm currently working on rewrites, and it's a project of mine to finish the rewrites and the rest of the story by the end of the summer (two years for twenty chapters is too damn long).**

 **If this fails to get finished by September, then bare with me; updates will be few and far between without large word counts to make up for said absences. I struggle to juggle (ha!) school and writing, so it's a matter of priorities (not to mention when sports begins, woe is me).**

 **With that said, the focus of this story is on one sole main character (an OC). The story peaks and valleys quite often in terms of seriousness vs. comedy. Romance is nonexistent. I only use legitimate canon storylines twice, so prepare for those. This is also going to be a huge mayhaps 60 chapter story, and I have two sequels (not to mention spinoffs/multiverse stories/stories that exist in this same universe) planned, all about the same length. Imma be here for a while.**

 **With that said, enjoy the show- and I'll see you at the other side *fades into 'read on, read on, read on, READ ON, READ ON, READ ON!'***

 **If you read that to Dream On, I love you with all of my passion.**

 **R &R**

 **-Infernokota**


	2. The Black Chapter

**Disclaimer: This is the disclaimer; I own nothing that outwardly, and obviously, belongs to DC Comics. I own the Jester, any other Original Characters that appear in this story, and the individual storylines and arcs that appear. Some, granted, are directly ripped from pre-existing storylines and arcs, but absolutely none will I take, word for word, action for action. There. That's your legal mumbo jumbo. Support the official release.**

 **"With my face, against the floor, I can't see who knocked me out of the way; and I don't want... to get back up; but I have to, so it might as well be today. Nothing appeals to me, no one feels like me; I'm too busy being calm, to disappear. I'm in no shape... to be alone... contrary to the shit that you might hear. So _walk with me... walk with me_... don't let this symbolism kill your heart... _walk with me... walk with me_ , just like we should've done from the start... _walk with me... walk with me..._ Don't let this fucking world tear you apart..."**

 **-Slipknot, _XIX_**

 _This is the start... a dark mark in history, I'd say..._

* * *

My life is one of hate, violence and vengeance. Those three things sum me up perfectly. I'm not a good man- never was, undoubtedly never will be.

I'm not a merciful man- you could make the argument that I was at a... point in time, but you'd be wrong.

I'm not a forgiving man. Ask the dead men in my wake.

No, the Jester is just a man who wants power. And if I end lives in that pursuit? Well... that's just fine by me.

* * *

I'd be lying if I said I knew what to tell you here.

In the end, I doubt it even matters.

Perhaps it does.

It's trivial at best though.

Where I come from doesn't matter. I went my whole life without actually knowing. But, for posterity's sake, I'll tell you what they told me.

* * *

 _To set the scene; I was young, perhaps no older than two or three._

The couple stood in the long winding line at the bank, the woman holding a small, blonde haired boy on her hip, while an older girl clung to her dad's leg.

 _It was a bank; First National, I think. I don't really remember what they said. From what was... gathered, my parents had my sister and I there. Late at night, looking for a loan probably. I'm not sure._

The woman sighed as she lightly bounced her son up and down, hopefully quelling what seemed like a soon to be outburst. The little girl reached up to hold his foot as the family shuffled forwards in the line.

 _That said... it's all the more unbelievable given what happens next._

Gunshots rang out over the heads of the patrons, and a sharp alarm cut through the night.

"Welcome, welcome, one and all!"

 _That would be Him._

The Joker grinned widely, dirty purple suit clinging to his thin form. "I am your host, Miiiii..."

"...Oh! Miiiiister J!"

 _And that would be Her._

Harley Quinn sprung forwards, spandex clad hands shaking as an exuberant smile crossed her own face. The Joker scowled and pushed her back roughly.

" _My_ spotlight, Harls!"

"Sorry, Mistah J."

 _That's just conjecture._

The Joker sighed. "Y'know, you ruined it, Harls. I had a whole- oh, forget it."

"I'm sorry Mistah J. You can still do the speech- I bet it'll be fantastic!"

"Oh, no, just forget it. What comes after, what comes after... ooh! Yes! Closing act! Boys, if you will?"

A few Joker henchmen stepped forwards, painted purple gas canisters held in their hands. They all were clad in gas masks.

 _You... can guess what happens next. After that, however..._

Harley skipped forwards, through the green gas and giggling, dying bodies, towards the teller's counter, where the goons were still collecting money from the vault. She hopped onto the counter and idly kicked her legs, humming absentmindedly.

"Uh, boss lady. We got somethin'." One goon said, standing over the pile of a family.

"Yeah?" She asked curiously. She turned bright blue eyes to where the Joker was spray-painting the wall, and bit her own painted lip. He wouldn't... be mad if she did something for him on her own would he? Oh, maybe he'd be happy that she took... in... initiative? Was that the word.

 _Sorry. Getting too into it._

The Clown Princess hopped down from her perch and slowly meandered towards the goon, trying her damnedest to be subtle. "Uh huh?" She asked.

The goon leaned down and kicked up a child from the pile. The boy was crying, not laughing, blonde hair ruffled and face turned up in a grimace.

Her eyes widened. "OH!" She said, unintentionally loudly. That grabbed the Joker's attention. The gang lord sighed and walked over to his accomplice.

"Yes?" He asked, irritated that his work had been interrupted.

Harley didn't turn towards him, athletic, black and red clad form hunched over something. Protectively?

"Well?" The Joker barked. "What is it?!"

The young woman slowly, painfully slowly, turned; showing her beau the baby boy.

The Joker's eyes almost widened in shock; he managed to control his features though, and simply stared at him.

"Um..." Harley said, not sure what to do.

"Hm..." Was his only answer.

 _This is the part where they say that I was 'naturally immune' to the Joker toxin. Bullshit. All bullshit. He was a brilliant chemist, but he's not the only one. I call bullshit._

"Then we keep 'im." The Joker said, grinning widely.

Harley blinked repeatedly. "Um... uh... what?"

"Don't tell me you don't want to keep him, kiddo. We can be one big happy family."

 _As if he meant it. This, you have to remember, would've been at the very beginning of all this superhero shit. Would've been_ before _actually, but we'll get to that._

* * *

The Joker hummed and forced more of the puke green mulch into the baby's mouth, drawing cries of protest. "Oh, stop being so melodramatic! It's perfectly inorganic!" The psychopath burst out into laughter.

 _Remember when I called bullshit on the toxin thing? Other than knowing chemist, and being a geneticist, I still remember the taste of that godawful 'baby food'. That's not really important though, but keep in mind the deception._

* * *

 _This I remember. After this, I remember this all._

 _Very._

 _Very clearly._

* * *

I leaned back in my bed, tapping at the appropriated iPhone, cheap earbuds hanging from my ears. My room wasn't much; we were on the move so damn often that I couldn't really make any room much.

And my... parents? Mentors? I wasn't sure- anyway, nobody was certainly going to make it much. Honestly; I was fine with that. I didn't have access to the internet. I wasn't an artistic person; I didn't anything other than the bare basics, especially if I was only going to be there for a week.

I was fifteen; I think. I was told I was fifteen, at least. I couldn't be totally sure. Memories were foggy and sparse. I had reached the average height for my age, but I was painfully thin. I knew that much just by watching the gang members go to and fro. That was, honestly, fine.

Honestly, everything was fine.

I had shaggy blonde hair, hanging around my head, and blue eyes, striking against pale-ish skin. Or, so I'd been told. By Harley.

Or mom?

I wasn't sure. She would've adored me calling her mom, I'm certain. But it didn't feel... right? Maybe I should call her mom. After all; she got me food, gave me (cheap) 'toys', got me clothes that had been suspiciously washed repeatedly. That... made her a mom, right? She acted like my mom, talked to me like my mom.

I'm rambling. She's important right now, but there was someone more important.

The heavy door- it was a warehouse after all- swung open, and a sickly looking man in multicolored, tattered, dirty clothes stepped in. "Boss wants to see ya."

Someone much. Much more important.

I followed the thug throughout the base. I couldn't tell you the layout- honestly, I barely left my room unless absolutely necessary, but what I did see, I remembered. No matter what, the cycle of bases never seemed to blur together; I could picture each one, at least as I had seen it last, to the tiniest detail. Like, for instance; that forklift? I would remember that like the back of my hand. Even if it got moved, I would remember how it had been on this exact day.

Maybe that's why the Joker had such an interest in me. Maybe not. I couldn't tell.

I stepped through the heavy sealed door, the thug stopping behind me as he closed it, and I ascended the stairs up to their personal... office? Room? I didn't know. At first glance, you would say; office. There were dozens of papers littering everything, from his desk to the floor, ranging from blueprints, sketches of all different varieties, and even what looked like notes.

I'm rambling again.

I stepped past all the papers, towards the huge desk dominating the other half of the room, covered in an enormous blueprint, a chemistry set, and dozens of odd gag toys. Gadgets, to be exact.

"Hey, bucko!" The Joker called out, not turning towards me.

"Mr. J." I greeted.

"Take a seat, kiddo, I've got somethin' for ya!" He trailed off into giggles as I sat in the small doctor's office chair away from his own. The Joker spun around towards me, magnifying goggles planted on his face, and I momentarily had a hard time reconciling that man with the monster that I'd heard he was.

There were a lot of thugs that didn't like him, but from what I can tell, he'd found himself on top of the Gotham Underground. Er... most undergrounds in his reach, honestly. Anyways, the thugs that didn't like him talked endless garbage about him and Harley. Things that, honestly, I didn't want to repeat. But, hey, that wasn't important right now.

Because I knew, in my heart of hearts, that he really was a terrible man, and I would've been wise to pay attention to him.

"Yeah?" I asked quietly, slumping in my spot.

He made an exaggerated sad face. "Oh, don't look so down. It's a present; a birthday present!"

I blinked. "...Today's my birthday."

He grunted. "May as well be," He grinned again and gestured dramatically, as if he was envisioning something. "July 7th- the birth of my protégé! Writing that one down!"

He giggled and scrawled on the blueprint. I couldn't even tell if that was actual writing.

But, that wasn't important. The protégé thing? That was new.

"So your training begins now, kiddo, and let me tell ya- it's a doozy!"

I blinked and fumbled for an answer. "I- I- uh- I."

He grinned even wider and removed his goggles. "Tongue twisted? Shellshocked? Cat got your tongue? Inwardly SCREAMING in delight?"

"I... yessir."

The Joker gasped dramatically. "The brat's got manners!"

I didn't bother trying to scowl. It would only piss him off. Or make him laugh.

There was an enthusiastic pounding, and Harley came running into the room, hands lifted to keep her balance in her high heels. "Ooh! Did ya tell him, did ya tell him?!"

"Yeah." I said, not quite able to process what was going on.

"Aw," She pouted. "I wanted to be here," She immediately perked back up. "AAAH! I'm so excited!" She ran over and enveloped me in a hug, speaking quickly about how we were going to go on heists, go on joy rides, fight tights, etc, etc.

"Okay, okay!" Joker barked, shooing her off of me. "That's enough! We've still got the big present for ya, kid!"

Harley then slowly sank back into herself, smile melting off of her face. I frowned, but the Joker didn't seem to catch either reaction.

"Come on, kiddo!" He twirled to his feet and led me back down the stairs, the sound of Harley behind us. He didn't stop mumbling the travelling song from the Wizard of Oz as we went.

* * *

After a long walk, a longer walk than I thought, he finally led me to the furthest back room in the warehouse, accessed by a heavy sliding door. Digging his dress shoes into the concrete, he pushed the door to the side; and revealed the room.

It was bare bones, with the exception of an old round table, the gun on it, and the man sitting in the chair in front of it, dirtied suit torn, strapped to the chair, and gagged. I blinked, blue eyes wide in shock, still not processing what was going on. It was all going much, much too fa-

The Joker shot forwards, sitting on the table and sliding along its length. He grabbed the gun and cocked it, before tossing it to me. "Here. Show me ya gunplay."

I swallowed hard as I caught the heavy pistol. "Wh- what?"

"Check the gun, buckaroo."

"Oh."

And then, as if by pure muscle memory, I popped the clip out, checked it, popped it back in, checked the iron sights, then cocked the gun again, and held it firmly in my hand. It felt unnervingly natural to hold it.

The Joker laughed. "Like a natural, kid! You'd almost think you'd been bred to shoot!"

I didn't answer, simply standing like an idiot. I finally noticed that Harley hadn't come into the room; she was standing at the door way, leaning out from one side. The look on her face made my eyebrows furrow in confusion. What was she afraid of?

What wasn't I afraid of?

The Joker hopped off the table and spun to the side, kneeling down next to the captured man. "'Hey, Mr. J, please don't kill me!'" He pantomimed, moving the man's jaw up and down like a puppet. He put his hands up to his mouth in mock surprise. "What?! Me?! Never! I wouldn't hurt a fly! No, my protégé's going to kill you! 'Wow, that's really neat, Mr. J! Jeez, you are such a nice guy, helping your son along with his first time like this. I wish I had a mentor like you!' Oh, get out of here."

I watched the sick 'conversation' go on, not moving from my spot.

He spun again, this time so that he was behind the chair. "Alright, kiddo. Here's your first. Just you and me, pappy and son, mono a mono. Like playing base ball. All you gotta do... is line up your shot... take aim... and never take you eye off the ball," He reached up and swiped some of his red lipstick off, drawing a circle in the middle of the man's chest. "And bang! You're on a home run!"

I blinked and swallowed hard. I was going to have to kill the man, wasn't I?

Or...

Or...

I raised the gun and stared down the sights; right at the Joker's smiling face.

"Go on," He said, and my skin crawled. Did he know what I was doing? "Take the shot."

I closed my eyes hard and breathed deeply. Then fired.

The man let out a scream of pain, the bullet ripping through his right breast.

"Oh, come on, kid! You're a better shot than that, take another shot! Fire! FIRE!"

I let out a shuddering breath and fired again.

The bullet hit him right in the middle of the chest, the powerful gun eviscerating his shirt, letting out a splurt of blood.

The Joker leapt, hands flying to his own chest. "Oh! Ah! You've wounded me, ah! Ah! I can see the light!" He reached down, and much to my disgust, grabbed a hand full of the dead man's blood, throwing it in front of his chest. "GAAAAAH!" He fell behind the chair, out of sight.

I dropped my hand to my side, staring in... horror? Shock? Numbness? At the dead man. I hadn't had much interaction with the outside world, but... God. I still knew the sanctity of life.

The Joker hopped back up, white gloves stained red with blood. His grin was stretching wide, and filled with malice. "Alright, kiddo..." He said lowly, stalking towards me. I frowned, but didn't back up. This was not anywhere near the man I had just-

I saw the glint of the blade before he reached me. He grabbed my face with a blood drenched hand and made me look up at him.

"Now we're gonna finish the look. After all, what's a circus without a... unifying visage?" I didn't drop my frown. "Harley. Close the door."

The young woman muttered something, but closed the door. Was she still in here?

The Joker hummed and brought the knife up to my face. "Harls, dear, do you have the kit?"

"...Yeah, puddin'."

"Excellent," He made a face at me. "Aw. Why the long frown?" He mimicked it, before grinning sickly. "Come on, kid. Let's put a smile on that face."

He stuck the knife into my mouth and dragged it along my cheek, carving my face open. My eyes went wide and I began screaming, as much as I could, anyway. He was still holding my mouth open, and had angled my face towards the floor.

"Halfway there! Oh, you're not gonna pass out on me! I can guarantee it! You smell that? That's Joker Toxin, kid, flowin' through your airways, soakin' deep into your bloodstream, enough to keep ya bright and shiny so you'll remember!"

With that, he began carving away at the other cheek, humming to himself as he did. My voice went hoarse screaming, fiery pain spreading across my face. It was beyond unbearable; it had reached the closest approximation of hell I could imagine.

He withdrew his blade. "Oh, Harley? Be a dear and clean up, would you?" He let me fall, and I went down face first, my forehead holding me up. I felt dizzy. I felt tired, weak. The pain hadn't faded, but it was like I couldn't even register it.

And all I could focus on was the sound of him walking away; opening the door... and leaving. Humming all the while.

Harley held me in her lap, wiping desperately at my face, even as blood escaped both into my mouth and out onto my face. She was crying, I realized; makeup-less face streaked with tears, blue eyes ringed with red from crying. She was whispering to me; comfortingly? I could barely make out the words. Her hands trembling, she opened a small white box, and pulled out a thread and needle.

Oh. Damn.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, before plunging the needle into my cheek.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity later, she finished, her hands still covered in spit, blood, and still trembling. I remember lurching over and finally vomiting- from the pain, or all the blood I swallowed, I don't know. She clutched my close to herself, just whispering to me quiet comforts, holding me in her lap, tears falling onto my face while she pet my hair. I was crying as well, I finally realized through the veil of pain. I wasn't sobbing though; not nearly loudly enough to hear over hers at least.

I'd met the worst side of the Joker that day; the Psychopath. Not just the Clown, or the Sociopath, or the Trickster. The living incarnate of what Gotham was.

I also realized what exactly the rest of my life had in store for me, and, in hindsight, I wasn't far off.

I had just merrily taken my first steps into Hell.

Hooray.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, you read the name of the chapter; it's not Black for nothin'.**

 **If you need any reference for the characters, they all take inspiration from the Arkhamverse, so that's probably your best bet in terms of actors, appearance, etc, etc.**

 **Why this is at all relevant, I have no idea.**

 **Carry on.**

 **LOL (Lots Of Love, obviously), R &R**

 **-Infernokota**


	3. Surprise

**"One should never make one's debut with a scandal. One should reserve that to give an interest to one's old age."**

 **-Oscar Wilde**

 _You know, he said one bad day. It's actually a lot of days, a lot of bad moments, resulting in a slow, gradual loss of humanity. Madness isn't an emergency exit; it's a fuckin' slip and slide._

* * *

I gently poked and prodded the stitched scars running across my cheeks, wincing. They were still tender-

And by tender I mean, Jesus Christ, they hurt like hell.

I attempted a scowl, before surrendering at the shock of fire running through my nerves. It had been long enough that they didn't throw me off anymore, they didn't make me cry; they just made me mad.

I didn't know the Joker too well before... that night. I'd seen him a couple of times, talked to him fewer. Any further interaction was rare, and mostly involved me running a message somewhere.

But now I resented the bastard. Every time I looked in the mirror, it was like I couldn't even imagine myself before the scars. Maybe that was the point; Joker's rambling about me being his 'protégé', whatever that meant, probably was my first warning of what exactly that would entail. It's not as if the Joker went halfway, and as far as I could tell, it was supposed to be a constant reminder that I was his 'protégé' whether I liked it or not.

Speaking of 'protégé', Harley sat behind me, humming as she dragged her hands through my hair, working the dye into the roots of my hair. I shifted uncomfortably, staring into the mirror; the right half was a dark purple, while the left was a dark green.

Harley leaned out to the side, looking in the mirror and catching my grimace.

"Whatsa matter?" She asked, stopping in mid motion.

"Nothing." I mumbled, averting my eyes.

"C'mon, don' be like that. Wassup?"

"I'm fine."

"JJ."

I winced at the term of endearment, and my... caretaker sighed.

"JJ, it's okay. No one's gonna miss ya hair- and 'sides, ya look so..." _ridiculous_ , was my thought. "Colorful! Ya look like one of us, and I'm so proud of you."

"Why."

Her eyes brightened, and she pursed her lips. "...I'm not supposed ta tell ya yet, but we're doin' a big reveal."

That... didn't sound promising. "A big what?"

Harley's eyes brightened even further, and I felt my stomach drop in anxiousness.

* * *

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck _fuck_.

Much better.

My bodyguard turned to me, dark eyebrow raised in bored curiosity. I waved him off.

The man was tall, taller than the Joker even, and absolutely built with lean muscle, dark skin bulging under the numerous tattoos covering his arms. His right arm was covered in what I was assuming was barbed wire over bandages with black fingerless gloves cladding his hand, his left arm covered with bandages and his hand wrapped. Over a dark, cut off shirt he wore a red painted riot vest, splattered with random paint, the Joker's smiley face logo sitting on the front, tilted slightly, with black, baggy pants tucked into calf-high boots, a knife holder duct taped to his left one. The bottom half of his face was hidden behind a red bandanna, while the top half was painted white with clown make up, his hair a mess of shoulder length, thick, green dreads.

And in his hands was an absolutely enormous shotgun, splattered with paint, but still definitely military issue.

The imposing man went by 'Charade'. Which, by the way, was pronounced 'Cher-aid', not 'Cher-awed', as I'd been told. Honestly I knew nothing else of him; other than his sole purpose, at the moment, was to make sure I made it through this.

 _This_. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck _fuck._ The thought immediately brought me back to my current situation and _Jesus Christ, breathe._ Charade reached over and put a hand on my shoulder silently, gloved hand squeezing... comfortingly? Hm. The action, surprisingly, brought a measure of... actual comfort to me, and I slowly regained my breathing.

Goddamn, this room was dark.

That was the point though, and I couldn't... quite argue the logic, honestly, holding a bloody SMG in my hands, but still. It didn't need to be that dark. Night vision goggles cladding my face were the only way I could see anything, what, with the only light coming through the slits in the curtain, as the leaders of the gang finished preparations for- for-

Fuckfuckfuuuuck.

I was going to hyperventilate.

"He's not that bad."

I turned to Charade. "What?"

The till this point silent guardian turned to me. "He's not that bad. Don't underestimate him, but he's not... the most terrifying thing on the planet." His voice went quiet at the end, and I narrowed my eyes, wondering what that was about, but I didn't ask. I hardly knew the man, and I didn't plan on pushing the wrong buttons with the wrong person at the moment.

Honestly between the psychopathic clown, the overbearing sociopathic clown, and the oodles of low lives working for them... Charade was currently my favorite being. That was neither here nor there though.

At the moment, I needed to just... shut up, calm down, and physically prepare for the night ahead.

Fine. I could do that. Focus. Breathe. Come up with a game plan. Easy, right?

Not so much. I couldn't even plan for the Joker or Harley nonetheless... no. Don't think about him. Just... calm. Zen.

Okay. I wasn't ready, and I doubted this night would end well, but there was nothing I could do about that, short of running, and I'm certain Charade was on orders to kill if I tried. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

Maybe I was right.

* * *

They came, and I was not prepared.

I thought I was. Honestly, it took long enough that I really did hype myself up enough that I thought I could make it through whatever the night was going to bring looking sunny side up.

You know, when you're in there you go 'I got this'.

And man. I so, did not have this.

When Harley called out I jumped rigidly, grip tightening around my gun as Charade himself tensed.

"Puddin', company!"

"Hello there, welcome to our happy abode!" The voice made me clench my teeth together, the healing scars on my cheeks aching.

"Where's the boy?"

And that... that was the voice. Deep, gravelly, filled with loathing. It was the single most terrifying sound I'd ever heard, and I had personally experienced the maniacal end of the Joker's laugh.

"The boy?" The Joker asked in confusion.

"Ooh! Maybe he means a little our little JJ!" Harley called out exuberantly.

"Aha! That's it!"

There was a few beats of silence before Harley let out a surprised yelp. Then a few more tense beats before some rustling.

"Uh-uh, no peeking!" There was a loud 'bang', like a cannon going off, before the sound of something hitting the floor. "Mama's little helper." Harley said happily.

"Ya know, Bats, we've been doing this little run around for a short while now, and you bringing your little bat turds on has got us thinking; none of us are getting any younger." Joker.

"Clock's a tickin'!" Harley.

"Quite right, boo," Joker. "And Harley and I were thinking it was time to start a little clan of our own. Add a Joker Junior-" Oh goddammit. "To our merry brood."

"But rather than go through the 'joy' of childbirth, we decided to adopt." Harley.

"We couldn't do it 'legally', but then, we remembered that there's always a few munchkins hangin' around... _so we borrowed one_."

The Joker.

The madman had barely finished his bit when the curtains went flying open, Charade ripped my goggles off, light flooded in-

And I got my first view of the Batman.

He was every bit as imposing as I imagined him being.

The Dark Knight was laying on the ground, sprawled out, wrapped shoulder to knees in red ribbons; he was still obviously tall, taller than the Joker, and maybe even Charade He was covered in black armor, a dark cape and cowl as every bit ridiculous as I was told; but it did little to take away from the man's figure, muscle stacked upon muscle, hard blue eyes stony cold as he looked on at the scene.

And then they softened.

Harley and the Joker stood on either side of the doorway, the two halves of the curtains held in their hands. The Batman stared at me. "No." He whispered, eyes flitting from my mouth, to my hair, and then back, not quite taking in what he was seeing.

The Joker beckoned me forwards, shrugging. "He needed a little molding, of course- what kid doesn't? But in time, we came to love him as our own," He leaned down towards me, smiling. "Say hello, JJ."

I swallowed hard and looked from him, to the Bat, to Harley who was nodding supportively, and then back to the Caped Crusader. "Uh... sup."

"Eh, he doesn't have my suave tongue yet, but we'll get there eventually." The Joker said giddily, beginning to chuckle.

The Batman flexed and pushed against his bounds, before finally breaking free, a... razor sharp batarang held in his hands that he promptly threw at the Joker; the madman simply ducked, beginning to full out cackle, raising a hand to beckon with a finger to the Bat.

The hero dashed forwards, face livid, at the Joker; the tall psychopath pushed me out of the way and pushed the button on a controller he pulled from seemingly nowhere, a metal cart shooting out from the room I had been in. The gang leader leapt up and onto the cart, letting it carry him away as the vigilante gave chase.

Harley smiled and placed her gloved hands on my shoulders, leaning down to rest her head against mine- before an ear shattering gun shot broke the silence left from the Joker's disappearing laughs. Charade had rolled out from the room behind us, shotgun already being cocked again as he levelled it at the raised bleachers sitting on the balcony above us. A dark shape leapt up and over, wire attaching it to the ceiling as it swung down after us, kicking Charade squarely in the jaw and sending him tumbling backwards.

Batgirl. She wasn't overly tall, nor overly muscular like her patriarch was, but still obviously fit and combat-ready, covered in black armor, contrasted against her yellow gloves, boots, and the lining of her cape; even further contrasted by the red hair escaping out the back of her cowl. Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at me.

"Batgirl!" A male voice barked, not the Batman's though.

The female hero turned on her heel, too late to avoid the vicious spin kick from Harley, the red-and-black clad clown sending Batgirl spinning away. My caretaker wasn't give the chance to react though, as another blur leapt down, this time, between her and I.

He slammed his elbow into her nose hard, a satisfying crunching noise greeting him, before he spun to me on instinct; before screeching to a stop.

"Jesus Christ." Robin muttered, eyes wide in horror.

I didn't want to be here. But I was not about to have this righteous prick pity me.

So I pulled my SMG up and bashed him in the face with it, his gloved hands flying to his nose as he stumbled back, giving me my first good glimpse at him. He was about the same age as me, dressed in red armor over what I was assuming was a green t-shirt, green armored pants tucking into similarly armored black boots. His face, unlike his companions', was clad simply in a domino mask, his eyes whited out, and his hair was unhidden, spiky black locks combed lazily backwards.

I hit him over the head with the gun, and he finally scrambled away from me, pulling a silver bo staff off of his back, holding it in front of him. " _Stop_!" He called out, though it didn't sound like it was meant to be funny.

"Or what?" I asked snidely, not caring about the circumstances at the moment. Pride would have to be my sin, honestly.

Neither of us got a chance to continue bantering me before Harley went flying between us, slamming into the pile of oversized gag presents sitting against the wall. Batgirl stood on the other side of me, effectively surrounding me.

"Please, stop, we're trying to help you!" She said, blue eyes begging.

I opened my mouth to respond when Charade loosed another round, nearly taking out Robin before the hero's quick reflexes to leap away saved him, slamming into me, and almost into the girl, before he shot back to his feet- a lot faster and more gracefully than I did, unfortunately.

"Sweetie~" Harley called out sweetly, far too happy considering the circumstances. "Get mommy's bazooka." She pointed to the side, before Batgirl dashed forwards, punching her squarely in the jaw, following up with a nasty spinning kick.

Ignoring the 'mom' statement, I followed her line of sight to, lo and behold, an enormous silver rocket launcher sitting on the floor. I went after it, the sounds of the vigilante beating Harley in the background.

I don't know why. On pure instinct.

Sliding as I neared it, I grabbed up the bazooka and spun, still on the ground and slid to a stop and... she was gone, along with Batgirl, though if the swinging double doors on the other side of the room were any indication, they had run off.

Stop rambling. Get her the bazooka. Right.

I leapt to my feet, cursing the weight of the weapon for a moment, and ran a few short steps before Robin appeared before me, staff held in his hands and a hard look on his face.

"For your sake. Stop. We're here to save you."

I stared at the other teen for only a moment before sneering. "Buzz off, Bird Boy."

His hard, fucking _piteous_ look faded slightly. "Oh they already taught you that one. Listen, JJ, we're trying to help, we just need you to-"

He was interrupted as a shotgun round rang out, and he was bodily thrown to the side by the blast, staff falling to the ground. I stared after him wide eyed for a few moments. Was he... no. He was moving, even _groaning_ quietly.

Charade stormed up to me, bandanna lost, but gun still in hand. "Go." Was his only command, and I nodded, jogging after the two women.

* * *

I'll be the first to admit I wasn't good with context clues. I wasn't. I'd grown up in secluded warehouses and what not, never leaving the walls unless we needed to pick up shop and head elsewhere, which was every few weeks. Fantastic memory? I certainly had it.

Fantastic investigative skills? I did not.

Which left me running in circles, trying to find the two combatants.

"C'mon, c'mon..." I muttered under my breath in irritation, turning another corner. No dice. I had to have searched the entirety of this part of the complex. I had to of. I'd remember what parts I would have missed otherwise. So, either they left this wing entirely, or they had stepped outside; either choice was equally viable.

In order to go back, though, and find a new section, I would have to go back through Robin and Charade which was not happening. So I stepped outside, and thank God, the two women were out, there, rain pounding around us, lightning and thunder cracking in the sky.

"How could you let the Joker do it, Harley?" Batgirl was asking, betrayal in her voice, searching for the Clown Princess. The outside of the prison was like a war zone, multiple upper layers of the building destroyed, leaving a multitude of raised hiding spots for Harley, and to my right was an absolutely _enormous_ yawning chasm that I immediately shied away from; though not far enough to make my presence known to the heroine.

"Okay, so he roughed the kid up a little," Harley was saying, voice echoing across the walls. "But I'll make it right!"

"Yeah, you're mother of the fucking century."

"Ha, you'll see," And then I saw her, sneaking out behind a wall, tiptoeing quickly towards Batgirl, the teen's back to the clown, with an oversized rock in her hands. "We'll be one, big, happy family." She stopped and raised the rock above her head.

Batgirl, though was about to turn around, faster than Harley would've been able to throw it, and I jogged out from my own hiding spot, whistling sharply. Instead of taking the fucking opportunity to throw the rock while Batgirl was distracted, _both_ women turned to me.

The redhead's eyes widened and she dashed towards me- not fast enough though, giving me ample time to huck the bazooka up to Harley, who grinned happily. "Good boy!"

My caretaker leapt, flipping, off her perch and caught the rocket launcher in mid air, landing in a low crouch. "Ha!" She yelled, firing the rocket right at Batgirl _who was right next to me._

"Goddammit!" I hissed as I dove to the side, avoiding the explosion that actually landed _behind_ us, and then scrambled to my feet, running towards Quinn, and relative safety, as the Clown Princess fired the rocket launcher liberally, following Batgirl's weaving dodges. "Fire where she's at, not where she's going." I hissed.

Harley made a face and turned to me, not impressed. "Baby, I know how to kill someone; let mama do it, alright?"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine."

What just happened?

Harley, just to spite me I guess, hopped to her feet and chased after the heroine, still firing the bazooka, all the way to the chasm. Batgirl leapt onto one of the wooden guardrails, and leapt again, just in time to avoid a rocket shot, before throwing her cape behind her, using the extra velocity slam into my caretaker, sending the rocket launcher flying to the side as I stumbled back.

The rocket launcher- _because of course it did_ \- went off, sending the shot careening right in the center of us, exploding violently, the three of us flying to different sides.

Harley fell towards the chasm.

Batgirl and I, in unison, leapt to our feet in panics, diving for the Clown Princess. The heroine, being much, _much_ faster, grabbed her before she fell- and then the two of them fell together. Eyes wide, I scrambled towards the edge of the yawning abyss and caught the redhead's hand before they both plummeted to certain death. Batgirl looked up at me with wide, shocked eyes as I struggled to stop them from falling to their deaths.

God I was weak.

Nearly nonexistent muscles bulging against the most strain they ever experienced, I grit my teeth together and ignored my body's screaming protests to let them drop.

"HELP HER!" I yelled, eyeing my caretaker swinging wildly, bright blue eyes filled with terror. That actually hurt to see.

Finally, _finally_ , I hefted Batgirl to the ledge, so that she could hold herself up as I tried to figure out how to help my- to help _Harley_ , mind filled with panic. Batgirl, holding the clown by the little poofy thing attached to her wrist, lifted with all her might, actually managing to _dead lift_ the older woman with one hand- before a horrifying ripping sound filled the stone courtyard. Both the heroine's, Harley's, and my own blue eyes widened in realization, before the little poofy thing ripped from my mother's body entirely, making Batgirl lose her.

And as Harley began to free fall, I moved on pure reaction alone- and dove forwards. In one movement, I grabbed Harley's hand, and Batgirl's boot, body screaming in pain and protest from the dead weight now hanging from a single arm. I let out a yell as I held on with both hands for dear life.

"Hang on!" Batgirl called out, moving her other hand to grip the ledge as she tried to pull our, probably, near three-hundred pound combined weight up.

"Hold on!" A new voice yelled, and Robin slid into view, which, unfortunately, meant that he had beaten Charade. Fortunately, however, he was scrambling through his belt, looking for a way to save us. Eventually, he pulled out a grappling hook and attached it to the ledge, hitting it so that it sunk into the concrete. Swinging down, he thrust his arm out to Harley. "Grab on!" He yelled over the rain.

My... _caretaker_ didn't hesitate for a moment, grabbing onto him as he pulled her up. Batgirl looked down at me as I clung for dear life onto her boot, thankful that it seemed like her boots were a part of her pants and were not about to pull a Harley on me. She nodded at me as she slowly started to drag the lessened weight up. Several painstaking seconds later, and I could reach up on my own and grab the ledge, Harley helping me up frantically. As I finally rolled onto solid ground, laying on my back, Harley pet my hair comfortingly, assumingly trying to convince herself that I was alright.

I mumbled something that I didn't even understand, before lolling my head to the side, where the heroes were staring at us, conversing quietly to themselves.

Well. Shit.

Because that's the only way this day could have gone down.

* * *

The police arrived not long after. Sure, Harley tried to fight, going for a cheap shot while the heroes were still conversing, but it was still two on one. And I was, A: obviously no help in a fight, and B: still reeling from almost dying, while also physically feeling like shit for holding a 150 pound woman up for a minute or so.

But they did have a weird sort of decency, and sat the handcuffed Harley down next to me. They didn't handcuff me strangely enough.

Harley was laying her head down on my shoulder, apparently struggling to keep conscious from the way she was mumbling. When the police arrived though, they went to work. Despite a few looks at the two of us, they were absolute consummate professionals that-

Hahahaha, that's funny.

No, they ripped the two of us apart, throwing Harley absolutely roughly into the back of one police car, before significantly more gently throwing me in the back of another. I didn't miss Harley's gutwrenching expression of terror and regret as she took one last look at me before the squad car took her off first. The drivers of my car stuck around to talk with Batgirl and Robin, probably about what had happened, which made me wonder what exactly had gone down between the Joker and Batman if the _sidekicks_ were the first ones that they talked to.

Didn't matter. A few minutes later, and the cop got into the car, his partner climbing into the passenger seat, and we were off, cruising away from the destroyed prison complex and back towards downtown Gotham.

Finally, after a handful of minutes of silence, the driver turned his head slightly to talk to me. "Where ya live, kid."

I stared at him for a few moments of hesitation, before turning to the window to stare out at the dark, rainy night.

I didn't miss the cops sharing a look though. The passenger turned towards me completely. "Got any family?"

"...Yes."

"Where do they live?"

I didn't answer.

"Got a number we can call?"

"No."

They shared another look, and the driver spoke next. "Did you... have anything with you? At the prison, I mean. Anything from..." He trailed off, not sure what to say.

"No."

They went silent again, and that fucking feeling of pity began to resonate from them.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked darkly.

"Ehm..." The passenger began.

"We're taking you to Arkham." The driver finished, and I bolted to attention, eyes wide.

" _What?!"_

"I know, kid, but Arkham's the best mental institute in the county, surprisingly. Ya need to... get..."

"Medically checked up."

"Yeah."

The passenger turned towards me again. "You've been gone for-"

"I don't care how long I've been gone for!" I said, voice raised with hysteria. "I- I can't go to Arkham-"

"Kid, calm down. You're staying in A Block for the night, it's not even high security, they'll keep you-"

"No, no, please, please..." I trailed off, trying not to hyperventilate.

They shared a look before the driver looked away, hissing out a curse word. The passenger reached over and grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Hey, Chief, change of plans, we're bringing the kid to GCPD."

"... _Why?"_ Was the response.

"It's _Arkham_ , Chief. He's, maybe sixteen. We can just have him stay overnight here, have a doc come by tomorrow and evaluate him or whatever at the station."

"...Goddammit, Al. Fine. I'll call it in."

"Thanks, Chief."

The driver turned to me. "Alright, kid. You're not going to Arkham for the moment, but the station's cells aren't much more comfortable."

"I doubt that." I grumbled.

I'd never been to Arkham, I'd never even _seen_ Arkham; but I've heard about Arkham.

I've heard so much about Arkham. Enough that I knew I never wanted to go there.

I turned my attention back to the rain outside. This was good- _better_ , not good. This was _better_. I wouldn't see Harley... or the Joker... _maybe_ Charade, but nothing more. But it wasn't Arkham.

I watched the rain fall through the dark night, lightning crackling to light up the clouds- and I could have sworn I saw a shadowy figure silhouetted for a moment on a rooftop, watching me, before the sky returned back to its pitch blackness.

This was fine.

At least it wasn't Arkham.


	4. Incarceration

**"The hardest prison to escape from is your mind."**

 **-Anonymous**

 _You laugh when I say that I panicked. Don't laugh. You may have worked there, but you didn't know that place for what it truly was. That was very real fear. And if I continue to claim that some part of me is still sane, that will continue to be real fear until the day I die._

* * *

Sitting in that little room, light shining in comfortably through the window, coloring the room a warm yellow, I felt more uncomfortable than if it was like a interrogation room from the movies.

Despite the, objectively, 'comforting' atmosphere, I still didn't stop shifting in place, hands folded between my legs, head bowed. I'd... washed the make-up off, as much as it hurt, and I was very, very, very, very uncomfortable with people other than sociopaths seeing my face. Still though, I was aware of the purple and green hair falling to cast my scars in shadow, the purple and green armor compact and perfectly fitted to my form, and I knew; any sane person looking in would see a Joker thug.

Hopefully that's not what they saw, but... was it what I was?

I didn't like to entertain the idea.

Eventually, the crushing silence began to fray my already frayed nerves, to the point that the quiet ticking of the clock made me want to get up and smash it. But, teeth clenched, I stayed in my small, wooden chair, looking at the mahogany table sitting in front of me, just... quietly introspective.

What did they think was going to happen? We- we were just going to kill the Batman and his apprentices? Two psychopaths, a thug, and an untrained kid. No. That was doomed from the get go; which would explain why the Joker got out of it scot free, disappearing into Gotham's seedy underbelly.

He knew that it was doomed. He knew that Harley and I were more than likely not making it out of there, which meant he had a different purpose.

"My debut."

That had to have been it. The Joker was a very, very smart man which made him all the more... frightening. He wanted to show me off, to show the Bat that _he_ had a protégé too. Or, probably more likely given:

He was rubbing it in the Bat's face. 'Look what I have, I took a kid, tortured him, and made him my own all under your nose, and there was nothing you could have done about it. I win, you lose.'

Yeah, that sounded more right. The Joker was a vindictive man, and he adored causing the Batman any sort of pain he could. Physical or mental.

I mean, think about it: they'd been raising me since, what, I was a baby? The kid of one of their victims, that they just up and took? Fifteen years, give or take, the case would've gone cold long ago. The Batman let people die, and to rub salt in the would, let their killers spirit away their baby.

I may not have been a master of manipulation like the Joker, but even I could appreciate how utterly beautiful of a story it was. I wasn't given much more time to dwell, though, as the door opened quietly, and a weary looking middle aged man stepped in, combed back grey hair still carrying touches of brown, matching the salt and pepper mustache above his upper lip. He pushed his glasses up on his face and studied me for a quick second before sitting down across from me.

I didn't raise my head, simply looking through my brows at him.

"Look at me, son." He said, tiredly.

"I'm good." I muttered.

"Son, I can't help you if you don't work with me."

There. That... fucking pity. Just to spite him, I looked up, brushing the hair out of my eyes to look directly at him, not hiding my scars.

"My God." He said quietly.

We sat in silence for a few moments before he reached a hand up to rub his brow.

"I'm gonna ask you a few questions, is that okay?"

I nodded slightly.

"Alright. My name's Jim, Jim Gordon-"

"Commissioner." I recited, finally placing his face. That's right, the detective that worked with Batman, liked enough by city council, and the population, to get promoted to Commish. The Joker and Harley- well, the Joker mostly- absolutely hated him, and I could place the name anywhere.

He nodded slowly. "...Right. I just got a few questions, we'll get a..."

"Psychiatrist."

"...Right, in here to do... a quick evaluation, and then we'll get you out of here, how's that sound?"

"And get me where? Arkham Asylum," We _both_ winced, surprisingly. "Or an orphanage?"

"Home. We'll get you home. To your family. But I need you to work with me, alright? There's no Joker here, no Harley, no thugs... no Batman. Just us, the psychiatrist, and the cops on the other side of the door."

There was a knocking, and the cop scowled, getting up to check. He sighed and let the intruder in, a skinny, brown haired, poindexter looking man stepped forwards, sitting across the table. Gordon retook his spot. "Murdock, this is-"

"I saw the news, I know who this is." Murdock said, studying my face.

Jim sighed. "...Uh... kid, this is Oscar Murdock, a psychiatrist from Arkham Asylum. _Apparently,"_ that was said with just enough venom to make me appreciate the commissioner... just a little bit. "He'll be here to... evaluate you while _I'm asking questions_."

"And I am very sorry, but my session with Crane was moved up, and I don't have a lot of time." Oscar said, looking actually apologetic.

Gordon mumbled before turning his attention back me, face softening again. "Alright... what's your name?"

"JJ."

"Not the name they gave you, 'Joker Junior', or whatever it means, I mean, your actual name. You're safe here, no one can get you."

"JJ."

Gordon sighed and shared a look with Murdock. "Is JJ your actual name?"

I faltered. "...Only name I know."

"Got a last name?"

"...No."

"Is that what they taught you? Or is that a true answer?"

"It's the only answer I can give you."

Jim frowned. "Do you... have something on you? Wire, bomb... anything that could let them hurt you?"

I shook my head. "It's not that I'm not allowed to give you a different answer, I don't know any other answer to give you."

"...Which means it's not the truth."

"Does it matter?"

"A lot," The cop looked to the side briefly as Oscar wrote something down in a notebook, face slightly... concerned. "Alright. Got any family?"

"...I... I... I..."

"Do you consider the Joker and Harley your family?"

We both turned to Murdock, who was frowning deeply at me. Not in dissatisfaction, but... something else. Something I couldn't place.

"I..." How did I answer that. The obvious answer was no, the motherfucker cut my cheeks open, made me dye my hair, and then got me arrested for the hell of it. On the other hand... did I consider Harley my mother? I called her my caretaker. I risked my life for her.

Apparently, Oscar took my silence as an answer, an answer that he wasn't exactly happy with.

Feeling the tenseness in the room, Gordon changed the subject- though I had no doubt he would loop back around to personal questions that I didn't have answers for. "Last night, what were you doing there?"

"I... the Joker and Harley brought me there, along with another thug that was supposed to protect me. It was a trap for Batman. They... showed me off to him and his sidekicks before everything broke down."

"...I was told by Robin and Batgirl that you... risked your life for Harley?"

That made Oscar straighten up rigidly, writing something else down. I did my best to ignore him. "Yeah."

Gordon sighed, eyeing Murdock in his peripheral warily. "The men that arrested you said that you didn't have a number to give them?"

"No."

"Not even one for Harley."

"No."

"I need you to be absolutely honest with me: do you have any indication of your past life we can manage? Any memories? Anything? I need you to be absolutely honest with me."

"No, I've already told you no, the answer is no!" I was starting to get worked up. "Did you not run my finger prints? You should know more than I do."

The Commissioner looked at the door. "We did run your prints, and we didn't come up with anything."

I felt hope that I didn't even know I _had_ deflate. "Nothing?"

"No. Absolutely nothing. You don't exist."

I frowned. The clowns were that thorough? That would take an absolute tech genius. Edward Nygma? Or... the Calculator? I couldn't see the legendary info broker working for the Joker, not without a lot of cash involved, but he was the Joker. He could commission new coats and parts for gadgets despite being one of the most wanted and reviled men on the planet. Hate him or love him, he was good at what he did.

"So you can't give me anything?" Gordon asked.

"I... no."

The cop sighed, resigned. "Alright. Sit tight, son. Murdock's going to finish up his evaluation and then... we'll have you out of here."

I nodded slightly, turning to the psychiatrist. He watched Jim go before he heard the door shut.

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and I want you to answer as honestly as possible," He said, pulling up his brief case and pulling out a pile of papers and what looked like signs. " _Honestly_ ," He repeated sternly. "My report is the _only thing_ standing between you and Arkham, but I also can't in good faith let you leave here potentially... mentally ill. Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Alright. Let's begin then."

* * *

It went horribly, I knew that. I knew that from the way he bowed his head as he finally came to his own conclusion. The polite, piteous way he bid me goodbye, the way he stiffly walked towards the door and left; the way he leaned against the door sadly, forgetting that I could see him.

What did that mean?

I was going to Arkham. I could feel it, in the deepest, most paranoid part of my soul, they were going to send me to the madhouse, and I was going to be stuck in that hellhole and- and-

 _Breathe, kiddo_. I blinked at the voice, whirling around for the source of it. The room was absolutely empty.

 _Oh relax, buckaroo. I'm just the voice in your head, and I've gotta say, it is roomy in here._

What- what- what-

 _Ah, I forgot to mention that, didn't I? See, you're going to Arkham for a very, very good reason... you're as loony as a bat! Well, not really. But, see, I've planted a little, itty-bitty suggestion in your head. Now that you're really kickin' your career into gear, what kinda proud pop-pop would I be if I wasn't there to guide you along?_

'Pop-pop'... wait. No. Nononono, please-

There was a sharp sound on the tile floor, like the sound of dress shoes: and the Joker walked into view, purple suit immaculate against his thin frame.

 _Yep!_ He called out, hopping up to sit on the edge of the table. _Joker's here! And let me tell you something, kiddo... I'm never, ever, going away. Congrats! You're officially part of my little menagerie now! You, your mother, and I, three agents of chaos hangin' around to shake things up! Welcome to the family, son._

I closed my eyes hard, centering my breathing as I willed him to go away. And when I opened my eyes... he was gone. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.

I really was insane, wasn't I? But, that didn't make any sense, I'd never seen him as an... image before, I'd never even _hallucinated_ before. Stockholm syndrome, depression, detachment from reality, maybe- those were the reasons I figured I was going to get locked up. But hallucinations? 'Suggestions'? Schizophrenia even, perhaps? That hadn't even computed.

And I knew that Murdock had seen right through me; I had made myself as translucent as possible, after all. And I was going to go to Arkham.

I lay my head against the table top and sobbed quietly.

* * *

That was where I was when the two cops came in. One looked at me, pity in his brown eyes. "C'mon kid. You've got a busy day ahead."

"...Why." I manage to croak out.

 _You're off to the madhouse, kiddo. You're mad. Bonkers. Off your head... but I'll tell you what, bucko... all the best people are._

"You've... it was decided that... for your own good, you're going to be committed... to... Arkham Asylum."

I didn't react, didn't bring my gaze up. Of course. It was a foregone conclusion. "Don't... I get a court case? A verdict?"

The other one answered. "The... Chief, and the head of Arkham, have decided to exercise _parens patriae_ , meaning that you're being committed for your own safety. The doctors'll have you for a while, till they're sure that you're no longer a threat to yourself, or others, and you'll be released back into the custody of the state, or your family if we've managed to locate them in the meanwhile."

Surprisingly, the man's more blunt explanation than his partner was far more comforting. That laid out a plan. That was doable. Go to Arkham. Get mentally well. Couldn't be too hard, could it? That was going to be the biggest lie I'd ever tell in my life, bar none.

* * *

When they took me to Arkham, it was in the back of a police van; armored heavily, myself sat on a bench in the back, hands cuffed together- "Just in case". It was all overkill, I was hardly even functioning by that point. I'd murmur answers, shuffle my feet, and bow my head.

But that's all semantics now. The ride took forever, much longer than I wish it would've, because that meant that I could... imagine it. The cops spoke quite a nice speech, about how 'this is for my own good' and 'we're doing this not because you're a bad kid, but because you've been with bad people, and we want to help you'.

What a load of horse shit.

I knew, deep in my soul, that everyone was afraid that I was already the next Joker. After all, I'd been raised by the bastard. My hair was dyed in his trademark colors, my cheeks were cut in a facsimile of his smile. I'd been not only reported saving Harley, but I'd gone on record and admitted it. I was at the prison, waiting for the Bat with the psychopaths. Being brainwashed probably seemed like the least of my problems.

But that was all just... semantics now.

I was heading to Arkham now. I was living my greatest nightmare now.

The truck hit a prominent bump, making me hop in place, jarring me from my thoughts. Immediately... I realized I could smell the ocean. The scent had already been there, I was putting together, but now that I was focusing, the salty smell was even more prominent to me and I didn't need to be a genius to realize that that meant that we were near the ocean.

To clarify, real quick: Gotham's a series of islands; Founder's, Miagani, Bleak, and Old Gotham not including the small bits of land on the mainland that technically belonged to the city. That, of course, meant that we were always near the ocean.

But, now, I could instantly tell that we were right next to the ocean, meaning that we were already on the way to the final island belonging to Gotham: Arkham. At best, on the bridge connecting it to the main island. I felt my heartbeat quicken and my breath hitch. It suddenly became a terrifyingly real reality that I was heading to the Madhouse, capital M.

The truck finally hit a speed bump, before shuddering to a stop. After a few moments, two cops rounded the back of the van and let me out, helping me down from the wagon.

The Asylum was a caricature of Gotham; enormous stone and black iron buildings built heavily in the city's old Gothic style, gargoyles staring down from the rooftops, lights burning brightly in the asylum's windows, standing out starkly against the fast dying light of the sky. The building in front of me read 'Penitentiary', and I let out a breath or relief.

Arkham was, in itself, a few small islands, housing the 'Penitentiary', 'Botanical Gardens' where all the nice stuff was, the 'Medical Facility', the Arkham Family mansion... and Intensive Treatment. That was the big house. That's where all of Them were. The Penitentiary was the spot for people who weren't absolutely off their rockers batshit, and if you listened to the internet, people who could realistically be cured.

That was fine. Not. Not at all.

The cops mercifully let me walk under my own power into the building, flanking me on either side as we entered, the Asylum's bright white lights gleaming overhead, the smell of over-sanitized walls stinging in my nose. The man standing guard ahead of me, in a small steel and glass cubicle, looked up at us.

"You must be that Joker kid," He called out, boredly. I didn't answer as I reached him. "Just take 'im over there to the right, there. We'll check 'im in and have him ran over to the Med Bay, and you guys can 'ead on home."

The cops nodded, ushering me forwards through the secure metal door- the sound of it unlocking echoing throughout the room- and into the room further beyond. And that's all that you need to know.

* * *

True to his word, I was checked in with haste- 214200. That was my number. Patient #214200. They handed me an orange jumpsuit and led me, on a trolley, back outside and across the grounds to the Medical Facility. Lethargically, the doctor gave me a physical, decided I was a healthy, if underweight teenager, and had them take me back to the penitentiary, where they threw me into the shower and left me to my own devices. Sort of. A guard still stood watch.

I stood in the stream of bitingly cold water, leaning against the wall blankly, watching the grime of last night's encounter pour down the drain. It, without meaning to sound too metaphorical, felt like a baptism. Entered from a relatively normal life, and I would exit into the madness of the Gotham underworld. I stood stock still for another few minutes before the guard called out for me to stop, and I robotically shut the water off, dragging myself back towards the entrance, not even caring about being nude. It was a strategy that would help me through many things throughout my career: the ability to simply shut myself down, block everything else out, and recede into my own mind.

Not a healthy coping method, granted, but I would be a far more unhinged man if I hadn't learnt it.

Anyhow, I unflinchingly took the orange jumpsuit and dressed myself in it, the garb hanging loosely around my thin frame. In all honesty, I probably wasn't making a fantastic case for myself being sane, but I didn't really care. This would be easier if I just... rolled with it.

Another march, and they took me back to the penitentiary, A Block, and gave me my cell, a small, five-by-fifteen room filled with only a toilet and a small, stiff bed hanging from the wall. I didn't even wait for the glass door behind me to close and lock before I lay down, desperately fighting the tears forcing their way to my eyes.

But that is a story- _this_ is a story for another day. Perhaps I'll detail life in the Asylum in a memoir. For now, for the sake of keeping this story to a distinct set of events, I'll gloss over it. To the next big thing that happened in my life.

* * *

I shuffled out of my cell towards the cafeteria that dominated one side of the Penitentiary. We, as functioning people, had the ability to convene with other inmates while we ate. Truthfully... it was a rather vain idea, but novel nonetheless. While no one truly got hurt at lunch, or dinner, the extensive list of mental illnesses in that auditorium made socializing... rather... not worthwhile.

Of course, I had no idea of that, as the guard led me in to the orange-jumpsuit filled room, the food line at the opposite end of the room, guards posted high above with what I assumed were non-lethal guns. Assumed. No, I felt rather like what books and TV told me high school was like: alone, anxious, and with the desire to find someone to cling to for support and safety. But, alas, I made my way across the room, to the food line for that night's dinner, grabbing a tray and taking the surprisingly appetizing food served up, and then turned around, at a loss for where to sit.

I meandered forwards slowly, tray clutched in my hands as I scanned the room for a spot- hopefully one by myself. And then I caught her eye.

She was staring at me curiously, two crimson red orbs boring into my own, and I could hardly break the contact. She was pale, and young, a year or so older than me at most. Her hair was black and wavy, falling to her jawline and streaked with fading red. I raised my eyebrows boredly, and she mirrored the gesture, and I immediately made my way towards her. The spot opposite of her was thankfully empty, so I sat down, placing my tray down and staring at her.

"You got a problem?" She asked, voice tilting in the Gotham accent.

I didn't answer for a few moments. "JJ."

"Huh?"

"My name. JJ."

She blinked in honest surprise. "Oh. Oh. Lilith. Lilith Corbin."

She raised a slight hand from its spot resting on her lap and held it over the table, outstretched. After a moment I took it, our eyes meeting again.

"Nice to meet you, Lilith."

* * *

 **A/N: Heeeeeeey, how's it goin' everyone? This ya boy IK, comin' at ya with another rewritten chapter, or... you know, just another chapter if you're a new reader. Oh whale. Point is, it's goodt. The pacing is a tad slow, but it works, okay? This is the third chapter. Give it a bit to get going. Trust me. It does. Really fucking fast.**

 **Like, oh boy. Ten chapters from now is just... fuckin' Jesus.**

 **...Have I convinced you to read the rest yet?**

 **Pretty please.**

 **They won't let my family go if you don't.**

 **LOL, R &R**

 **-Let My Family Go, You Monsters,**

 **Infernokota**


	5. Sympathy for the Devil

**"A riot is the language of the unheard."**

 **-Martin Luther King, Jr**

 _My life begins moving very quickly from this point forwards, contrary to what may seem to you like me rushing through this part. And, perhaps, subconsciously I do remember this part in an abridged way, perhaps because the drawn out version hurts. Nevertheless, the only truly important things that happened were two very... very good friends I made._

* * *

I let out a scream, eyes wide, and jumped backwards, toppling my chair over in the process.

Lilith snickered, hand pressed against her mouth. "Shut up."

Moving my chair back to its spot at the small table, I smirked, sitting back down. "See, you think I'm being funny. The Batman is no laughing matter."

The pale girl leaned back, sipping at her small plastic cup. "I didn't even think he was real."

"He is very, very real. And very, very frightening."

I considered myself a brave boy. I had faced down psychopath and hero alike, from Harley Quinn and Robin, to the Joker himself, and had managed to stay alive. I'd survived unspeakable torments, and still managed to keep my pride and wits about me. But the Batman? That was a spirit far, far above my league.

As I was finding out though, Lilith was a very brave girl as well.

She was turned around, making faces at the guard overlooking the little... rec room, for the more stable inmates, filled with board games and TVs high above the reach of any potentially uppity sociopaths. I blinked, bringing myself back to reality. "What?"

Lil turned back to me, red eyes blinking. "Did you not hear anything I just said?"

I shook my head. "Zoned out there."

" _'I zoned out there_ ,'" She mimicked, rolling her eyes. Insulting the protégé of, perhaps, the most dangerous man in history? Like I said: brave girl. "I was saying, the guards don't even pay attention to us. We could escape and no one would know."

 _Click._

The Joker needed to stop making sound effects.

"So why don't we?" I whispered, leaning conspiratorially towards her. She mirrored the action, bringing her face right next to mine.

"JJ... how about no."

I leaned back, giving her a deadpan look.

"And stop doing that face." She continued, leaning back as well, taking another drink from her cup.

I frowned. "What face."

"The... weird, serial killer face," She made, what I could assume, was a 'weird, serial killer' face, eyes wide and a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. "Except, your eyes get a super weird brightness like a-"

"Serial killer," I finished, not impressed. "First off, serial killers don't feel emotions. Secondly, my eyes do not."

She blew a raspberry at me. "Yes they do."

"No they don't."

"Yes they do."

"No. They don't."

"...Yes they do."

"God, it's like arguing with a child."

Lilith blew another raspberry, and I threw my hands up in exasperation. She laughed and turned her attention back to the TV in the corner and I took the opportunity to look at her for a few moments.

I'd been at Arkham for a few days now, and I wanted to kill myself...

That... was a bit of an over exaggeration. But the point remained. Perhaps, I'd made Arkham such a terrifying, insurmountable odd that now that was all I could see it as, and, perhaps, I was making it worse than it should've been. But alas; I wasn't a psychologist, I wasn't really in any place to analyze my own mind.

Despite all that though, she did help get me through it. In an honest to god, no bullshit way, she was my own little rock in this place.

"Stop fuckin' staring, dude, it's creepy."

My own little, vulgar rock.

"What's with the teeth?" I finally said, my vacant expression fading into well-faked confusion.

That threw her off. "Uh, what?"

"The teeth. What's with them?"

Lilith turned back to me, frowning in snap self-consciousness, shrinking back and trying to conspicuously poke her canines. "Uh, I don't know." She said around her finger.

I scoffed, leaning back. "Why are they elongated? You a vampire or something?"

"No, I'm not a vampire!"

"Then what's with them?"

"They're... I mean... I don' know, shut up!"

I smirked coyly. "My round."

"Oh, so not!"

"You know the rules, darling."

She glared at me. "God, I hate you so much."

"Oh, really?"

"You're such a... conceited, arrogant, prick."

I nodded. "Fair points. Counter point- and?"

Lilith simply glared quietly at me.

Smugly, I turned away, towards the wire-caged TV hanging in the top corner of the room. I had just managed to glimpse the letters 'Jok-' before the channel was changed to a rerun of Friends.

I mulled a thought over for a moment.

 _Ah, ah, ah, kiddo. That's not something you want to get into,_ the Joker said, strutting into view, warning in his green eyes.

I leaned over the table towards my friend. "What do you know about the Joker?"

* * *

 _*Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*_

The room was small, ever-so-slightly _too_ small, dominated by the large desk in front of me, separating myself and the man across from me. A single light shone over head and that damn clock ticked away, hung on the wall.

I grit my teeth in irritation, shifting uncomfortably as the psychiatrist scribbled down some notes. The shrink was a friendly-enough middle-aged man, heavyset, with dark hair combed to the side formally, dressed in a white lab-coat and blue button down shirt, black tie wrapped around his neck.

"And, you say, he did that to you?" Dr. Reeves- my appointed psychologist- gestured at my left eye with his pencil.

The green one.

"Yeah." I mumbled, wrenching handcuffed hands together under the table, the orange jumper cladding me _painfully_ heavy and itchy.

The doc nodded, writing something else down. He sighed and pulled his glasses off. "Have you killed anyone, JJ?"

I shifted more noticeably, and that was all the answer he needed.

"Alright, it's alright. So..."

* * *

 _*Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*_

"What's your relationship with Harleen Quinzel?"

I gave him a flat look, chewing nothing audibly.

Dr. Reeves looked back down at his notepad. "Got it... save... the... Harley questions... for... later."

* * *

 _*Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*_

"So you said that you were panicking about coming to Arkham. Why?"

I turned away, leaning back in my chair. "...No one's ever said anything nice about this place."

"No one? Like who?"

I turned back towards him, letting mismatched eyes burrow into his own.

"Harleen?"

"Hmph."

"Are you ready to-"

"No."

"Whenever you are."

* * *

 _*Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*_

"You mentioned a Ms. Corbin in our last session?"

I frowned. I didn't remember that. "Perhaps."

Dr. Reeves nodded, shuffling through some of the papers on his desk. "Lilith is actually one of my other patients here."

That peaked my interest, and I sat up a little straighter. "Hm."

Again, he nodded, smiling in satisfaction. "I studied child psychology as well as criminal psychology, so I'm the best prepared doctor for... underaged criminals."

"Criminal _s_?" I asked, putting emphasis on the 's'.

Reeves stared at me for a moment. "That's a story best shared between the two of you. Ask her about it," He leaned forwards. "She's mentioned you too, JJ. Friends are great. Hold onto that friendship. Stuff like this makes you bonded for life."

"Bonded for life..." I mused, mind wandering from the session at hand.

"Bonded for life," He repeated with a nod. "You two are getting out of here eventually, hopefully sooner than later. Even for more... conventional people, readjusting to life is hard. Together, who knows. You might be the catalysts for each others' recoveries.

* * *

 _*Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*_

I was irritated.

Dr. Reeves rubbed his eyebrows, getting frustrated with _me_. Hahaha, sure, Doc. "JJ, I'm just trying to-"

"Just trying to _what_ , huh?" I barked. "What _are_ you trying to do! I'm not some kid that fell in with the wrong crowd, I'm not some jackass with a t-t-t- _tick,_ so what are you trying to do! You really think you can fix what you don't even know is broken?!"

Reeves shook his head. "Relax, JJ."

He seriously thought that I hadn't noticed his hand reaching under his desk in the middle of my tirade, arm stiffened in preparation.

I snorted- and realized I was standing. With a hmph, I sat back down, looking to the side.

The doc sighed. "JJ, do you ever feel... dissociative?"

"What?"

"Like... detached. Like the things around you aren't real- like you're playing a game. It's a me-psychology term for when someone just... doesn't function like the rest of us do."

"Of course not. Everything is very real. That fucking clock is real."

"It's not that it's not real... as if... you're experiencing a chess game, and you're the player."

I felt the air whoosh out of me, a frown crossing my face.

Chess game. Chessmaster.

"It's alright if-"

"Yes." I cut in.

He blinked in surprise. "Oh. Oh, okay. What... exactly does that mean to you?"

I sat for a few moments, letting the statement sink in, giving myself a moment to register it. "...It... I think ahead. I try to plan around everything. From what guards will do, to what people will say- hell, even what questions you're going to ask," I sighed, letting my head fall. "Everything I've said to Lilith, I've ran over and over in my head, like- like coordinating a game, you know?"

Reeves let out a small 'ah', and hastily scribbled down some notes. "What do you mean by that? Coordinating a game? Do you... have something you want from Lilith?"

I didn't answer.

* * *

"JJ? J-J." Lilith asked lightly, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked and returned my attention back to her. "What- what?"

"You zoned out for a moment there." She informed me, sitting back and taking a bite of her dinner, as the hustle of the cell block's cafeteria returned to me.

"Sorry," I said absent-mindedly, picking at my food. "Just a lot on my mind."

She took a moment to swallow, before gesturing at me with her spoon. "Mm, like what?"

"Personal stuff."

"Uh huh. How personal."

"Personal-personal."

"Uh huh. Like... me, the only person you know, personal?"

I scowled indignantly. "I know other people."

"Uh huh. Like who? The clowns don't count."

"I..." Hm. "Shut up."

"What's that make the score now?"

"Me, still winning."

"Sure thing, dude."

Then we lapsed back into silence, eating our rather subpar meals.

"Hey, quick question," Lilith finally asked, breaking the silence. "Whatcha gonna do after all of this?"

"All of this?" I asked, frowning.

"Yeah. The supervillains, and the crimes, and the asylum- you know, back in normal life?"

"I... don't know."

"Okay, well, what'd you do before all this?"

My frown deepened, eyebrows furrowing. "I don't know."

"Whattaya mean you don't-"

"I don't know!" I barked, anger igniting in my veins.

Lilith blinked and shrank back away from me, a... splash of fear crossing her face for a moment.

I realized I was standing up, leaning over the table towards her. Quickly, I dropped down, shaking my head. "Man, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Lil. You didn't deserve that." I chanced a look up at her through my brows: she was frowning in concern, but had sat back down, if not stiffly.

"It's- it's fine." She stammered out.

I closed my eyes in... shame? Honest shame? Hmph.

"I'm not like them, you know," I muttered, getting her attention. "I'm not. I wouldn't hurt you, not if I had a choice."

"And what if you don't?" She asked quietly, voice little more than a whisper.

I opened my mouth to answer- but couldn't force anything to come out. Nothing worth it, at least. She sighed, but didn't carry on the topic.

"Hey," I managed to get out, sitting back up- trying my damnedest to shatter the awkward tension. She looked up at me through the black locks falling in front of her face- tentative, but still curious. "What are you going to do? Once you get out."

She frowned. "I guess... finish school. Maybe go to college. I dunno."

"Well that's generic and boring."

Her frown deepened, and she sat up, in indignation that matched even mine, fire returning to her eyes. "Hey, you asked."

"And _you_ gave a shitty answer." I shot back.

After a moment, Lilith sighed. "I dunno, I want to go to... you know... like a music school."

"You play music?"

"Yeah."

"What do you do?"

She was blushing.

Hahahahaha.

"I... I sing and play bass. Guitar." She muttered, looking away from me.

"So, what's after... music school?" I asked.

"I guess I want to start a band."

"You guess."

"I want to, okay!" She spat, and I smirked. There. _That_ was the Lilith I knew.

"Okay."

"What, that's it, after all that interrogating?!"

"Yeah."

She blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yep. That's all I wanted to know."

"No... snide comment? No sarcastic judgement."

I shrugged. "I don't know what the outside world's like. Being a musician sounds pretty tame to me. And... pretty cool." Ha, she was blushing again.

"So... you don't care."

"Nope. Not as long as you get to do it. One day."

* * *

That wasn't good, I mused to myself as the asylum began _blaring_ in alarm, lights flashing ominously as the sounds of panic began to crescendo in the cell block, guards and doctors rushing past my cell door.

I frowned as I rose to my feet, walking over to the glass pane, peering out for any sign of... whatever it was, exactly, that was going on. Alas, I couldn't see much of anything at all.

 _"Level Four security alert engaged. Level Four security alert engaged. All personnel, please evacuate to the Asylum gates in an orderly fashion. Level Four security alert engaged..."_

"Yep, not good." I mumbled, running my hands over the glass- admittedly, in vain- as I tried to search for a way out. Asylum breakouts didn't happen as often as I thought they would. Honestly, I was rather unprepared, all things considered.

 _*Poof*_

I jumped in shock at the loud popping sound, red mist filling my cell, before Lilith walked out of it, looking rather concerned.

"Jesus!" I barked, leaning against the wall, a hand pressed to my heart. "What the hell was that?!"

The pale girl shrugged, face belaying her worry. "Just something I can do- Jay, what's going on?"

I sighed as I regained my composure. "Don't know. Breakout or a riot, probably."

"Okay, what's the difference?"

"One means that we can get out of here."

"And the other?"

"Means that we're fucked."

"Do I want to ask which is which?"

"No, you'll jinx it."

"Didn't think you were superstitious."

I grit me teeth together and slammed my shoulder into the glass door. "Only when it helps me."

The slamming was only getting me a sore shoulder.

Rubbing my arm, I stepped back, looking around the room, before locking eyes with Lilith, the girl's red orbs filled with concern. "How'd you get in here?" I asked.

"I can shapeshift. Something little enough to fly through the holes in the pane." She replied with a shake of her head.

"So that's not going to help me is it-"

"No, not at all."

I closed my eyes and breathed in and out heavily, rubbing my temples as I paced back and forth. "Alright. Alright, go."

She audibly made a high-pitched sound of protest, tensing in surprise. "What?!"

"Go."

It wasn't that complex of a request.

"No, not without you."

"I'll be fine. But you've gotta go fast. I'd just slow you down anyways- you've gotta go."

"But- but-"

I groaned in frustration. "West Burbank Street, alright? Meet me there, tomorrow night."

"That's... that's a really shitty part of town."

"I know! Just trust me, for fuck's sake."

"What time?"

"I don't know! Tonight! Go!"

Lilith scowled slightly, but disappeared anyways in another puff of red smoke. Waving the cloud out of my face, I turned my assessing eye back to my cell.

And found nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I scrambled around for several minutes, looking for, maybe a loose panel in the wall of the floor, a centimeter of space in the door for me to wedge it open- maybe some way to climb into the ceiling. Nada. Nothing.

How... exactly did people escape this place so often?

The answer: help.

* * *

I was sitting at the back of the room, leaning against my upturned bedframe, watching the door (and the exponentially slowing stream of people walking by- by that point, the hallways were dead silent with the exception of the blaring of the alarm), and just... feeling defeated.

Slow, deliberate footsteps began echoing in the hall, and that defeat turned to righteous anger. Criminally insane people didn't just walk around aimlessly- they usually had a very specific aim. Like a victim. Hell, at least I'd go down fighting. I rose to my feet, and leapt over my head, taking refuge behind it as the footsteps inched ever closer.

And then they stopped.

"Jester?" A voice asked, voice distorted into a raspy whisper.

I didn't answer, preparing to jump over the bed towards the man.

" _Jesteeer_." The door opened.

In a flash, I jumped the bedframe, fists balled up to assault the speaker- and then skid to a stop.

He was tall, and thin- thinner than the Joker, even- dressed in only the asylum issued pants- and burlap hood, burlap gas mask affixed to his face, and a noose around this throat.

Jonathan Crane AKA the Scarecrow tilted his head curiously at me as I stared back at him.

"Ah," The purred, for lack of a better term. "You must be the Jester."

I raised my chin in mock confidence. "Perhaps."

He chuckled, voice distorting rather creepily through the mask. "Such bravado, little clown. Tell me... do you not fear me?"

"I do," I managed. "Does it matter?"

"Oh. Oh, it does," He began slinking towards me, the... oppressive _force_ surrounding him pushing me back towards the bed, until I was pressed up against it, the blood rushing in my ears getting louder and louder as he neared me- "But I am not going to kill you."

That made me freeze. "You're... wait, you're not?"

"No, no, no. That would be a waste, child. Tell me, what do you know of fear?"

"I know it's the reason you're in here."

"...Not incorrect, but evasive nonetheless. A child fears everything, so a child _knows_ everything. Tell me, do you fear everything?"

"I fear you, at the moment."

I _felt_ his disdain at that moment. "Do not toy with me, child,"

 _Ooh, toy with him. I want to see how_ red _his face can get,_ the Joker said giddily, giggling.

"I fear a lot." I said defiantly.

He hummed thoughtfully. "Then you have potential," With that, he backed up, turning towards the open door. "I do not show mercy often- and even more rarely do I give favors. I offer you both. One day, little clown, I will call in that favor. I pray you'll accept it. For your sake."

And then he was gone. After a long few moments, I let out a breath, gasping for air as sweat beaded down my face. "Focus," I hissed at myself, pushing the encounter to the back of my mind. " _Focus._ "

A favor? That was very vague. He'd call it in though, I didn't doubt he would. Whether I granted it to him, was another story entirely. And one, hopefully, far, far down the road. At the moment, I needed to escape the asylum.

I had a date to keep.

* * *

 **A/N: Yaaay, character development. Yaaay, Jester's finally an actual character! For fuck's sake, it only took three tries!**

 **Bah. That's all I've got. Have fun.**

 **R &R, ****LOL**

 **-The Lord of Only My OC's Except Wolf, Infernokota**


	6. Legacy

***Hiya. How's everybody doing. So, uh... yeah. I'm currently on a very ambitious project to rewrite all of these shite early chapters, and I think I've been doing a bang-up job of it. We've made it this far, to this very one, but... that means that we've only made it this far. So yes. This chapter is absolute, unadulterated garbage. No joke. BUT NEVER FEAR! I'm currently rewriting this! That said, part of this chapter and maybe a little of the next are bad. If you can manage to stomach them, by all means, go ahead. BUT! They do not follow continuity at all.** In short: the Jester was created by the Joker, same-old-same-old, got sent to Arkham- but then became a Scarecrow goon. Did that for a while, before going back to Arkham where he met Lilith. They escaped on their own accords, and made a deal to meet in Gotham **. Oh well. Enjoy if you can, otherwise, come back here later. Peace.*-Infernokota**

 **"Never be afraid to start over. It's a chance to rebuild your life the way you wanted all along."**

 **-Anonymous**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf. On that, stick till the end of the Author's Note for a trailer...**

 _Ah, the woes of a good plan. It's a constant struggle, isn't it? You do things you really... don't want to do._

* * *

When I woke up, I was exhausted. I dragged myself off of the ratty mattress and groaned.

"Long night?"

I looked up. The man was dirty, with ratty hair and a long beard. He was wearing thick, also dirty clothes. He was presumably homeless.

I sighed. "You've no idea."

"Yeah, I prob'bly do."

I sat up and leaned against a wall. "Where are we?"

He grinned crookedly. "Son, you in the Narrows."

Great.

"Listen, the cops came by," He began, and I froze. "I said you was my kid. They got a social worker comin' by. I don' know who you are, but you better get movin'."

I sighed and clapped condescendingly. "Thanks for that, _really_."

He harrumphed and turned around. I dragged myself to my feet.

"You're totally a douchebag, you know?"

I turned back to the man. "Pardon?"

"You're a douchebag."

I scowled. He laughed. Then poofed in red smoke.

Lilith sat against the wall, laughing. I blinked. "How the Hell?"

"I saw you pull your boat up onto the shore before you collapsed. I dragged you here. No, there were no cops."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "I hate you."

"No you don't."

There was a beat of silence. I could hear a bird tweeting in the distance. It was peaceful.

"So, what's the plan?" She asked.

She was sticking with me? "Honestly... I was going to go back to Doctor Crane."

Lilith moved so that she was sitting in front of me. "I thought you wanted out."

"It doesn't work like that."

"It could."

I sighed again. "Really? What's your plan then, hm? Run away, act like everything's just peachy? We've got records, and we're wanted."

She shook her head. "I don't know. Got to school. Move on with our lives. You know people, don't you?"

I scoffed. "Even if I did, there isn't anyone I know who could-" My eyes widened in shock. "Sonuvabitch."

Lilith grinned. "Of course there is."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Holy shit. The Calculator."

"The what now?"

"Shut up, I'm thinking. No, he totally could. That's a helluva lot of money though."

"Don't tell me to shut up. How much money?"

"Maybe a hundred thousand."

She stood up and stared me in the eye. "How the Hell are we- you already know."

I winked. "I'm very dirty."

Lilith sighed. "So where is it?"

"One of Crane's warehouses."

"Seriously?"

"No biggie, no one will notice me coming in then leaving. It all hinges on whether Crane's there or not," I turned to the street and raised my hand. "Calling a taxi, if you were wondering."

"I'm not an idiot."

"Just checking."

* * *

We peered across the street at the warehouse. A single, inconspicuous looking man stood by the door. Lilith elbowed me. "You sure this is the place?"

I nodded. "Crane's smart. The guy just looks like he's taking a cigarette break. All the shady shit's happening out the back of the warehouse."

"So how do we get in?"

I peeled my orange jacket off. "We don't. I do."

She frowned. "Looking like that?"

"Arkham outbreak just happened. Most of the big honchos are still trying to recover. No one will say anything, trust me. Try not to get caught."

Lilith huffed and I crossed the street. The man standing guard narrowed his eyes at me as I walked up. I raised an eyebrow and gestured to my cheeks. Come on, he still didn't recognize me?

His eyes opened in realization and he murmured a quick apology before unlocking the door and letting me in.

The room was bustling, thugs rushing to and fro. I took a moment to revel in the familiarity. One of the lieutenants, Finger I think, noticed me and jogged over. "Jester, sir!"

I inclined my head at him in greeting. Where did I hide that money?

"I'm sure you'll be happy to know that since you were locked up, we've increased production to, uh... you okay?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm fine. Is that all?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sir."

I shooed him off and he left, giving me a suspicious look. I snorted, walking further into the warehouse. It only took finding the bag- it was a bag, right?- and I could move on with my life.

That's what I wanted wasn't it?

I moved to where the few men stupid enough to sleep slept and searched around. Imagine if someone found it. That'd be a treat. The small room had three bunk beds and I resisted the urge to search beneath them. I wasn't that stupid.

It had to be in there. I blinked and facepalmed. Of course. In the mattress, why not? Grabbing one of the thugs' bags, I searched the mattresses. Finally, in the top bunk bed in the corner, I found the hole. It was stuffed with multiple stacks of money. I could count it later, now I just needed to get out. Stuffing the money in, I held the bag at my side and stepped out of the room. The men were still rushing to and fro. Scarecrow kept his men busy.

"Scarecrow!"

No.

"What?"

No no no.

"I found this girl standing outside, spyin' on the warehouse!"

Fuck.

"You dragged her in... _from the street_?"

"No one was lookin' sir, I promise!"

"Impudent _fool_! There are cameras- kill her, then give the word out! We need to evacuate immediately!"

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah!" I said repeatedly, jogging out into the middle of the warehouse floor. "Crane, let's be sensible about this."

Scarecrow narrowed his eyes. And I realized that I had made a very fateful mistake. I just called him out in front of his guys.

And holy shit, nearly every goon had gathered by this point, standing around on the main floor.

"Jester?" He asked, staring at me.

I waved at him. "Hi, yes, hi, could you _not_ kill her?"

He turned to the goon holding Lilith in place. She glared at me. And gestured her head to the side, trying to tell me to leave. My mouth gaped open and I stared at her incredulously. 'You dumb bitch' I mouthed at her.

She spat. Crane scowled. Shit.

"Crane, listen, she's my assistant, goon-thing. It'd really be inconvenient if you killed her, sir."

His scowl dropped. "Your assistant?"

"Yeah."

Scarecrow scoffed. "I'll only allow you to lie to me today because... you've intrigued me, I'll admit. Let her go." The goon complied, and Lilith glared at him.

I snapped. "Lilith, come here this instant!" She gave me a disbelieving look. I looked at her urgently. She scowled and sulked over to me. I shrugged at Crane.

He looked directly at my bag. "What do you have there?"

I stilled. "Money." I was frozen in fear.

"Money." He repeated.

I nodded slightly in confirmation. "Money." I was going to die. I was an idiot.

Crane smirked- honest to God smirked. "Have you been stealing from me, child?"

I shook my head. "No sir. It's my cut."

He laughed bitterly. "'Your cut'."

"You don't care about the money, sir."

"The money funds everything else."

I looked him in the eye. "I just need enough to clear _her_ name. I swear on my life."

He kept my gaze for a few moments. "Fine. This is your only warning, child. Do not screw me."

I nodded. "Time to go, Lil. I'll... be back, sir."

He wasn't paying attention anymore. We hurried out of the warehouse. The door slammed shut behind us. It felt oddly profound.

I clutched the bag close to my chest. Lilith looked at me. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head. "No. We need to find one of Calculator's burner cells."

She sighed. "Where do we begin?"

"We don't."

She frowned. "What?"

I looked up at a security camera and opened the bag of cash to show it. " _Hopefully_ he finds us. He'll run background checks- he'll find us, just trust me."

Lilith sat down on the curb and I joined her. She rubbed her neck. "So what do we do till then?"

I shrugged. "Wanna find an apartment?"

* * *

I laughed and locked the door behind us. "Did you see her face?"

Lilith fought to keep a smile off her face. "That wasn't funny."

"Oh come on, it was a little funny."

"Acting like you were going to kidnap me?"

"She freaked out."

"It was in bad taste."

"This is Gotham, everyone has bad taste."

She laughed and we took a look around the apartment. It was tiny and dingy. The living room was small and connected to the kitchen. On either side of a small hallway was a bedroom, with a bathroom in the middle.

"Home sweet home." I said.

Lilith plopped down on the small couch and sighed. "Oh, it's been so long since I've had a comfortable couch."

I snorted. "Try never had one."

She turned and looked at me from over the edge. "Wanna talk about it?"

I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Nope."

She murmured something, but didn't push.

I stared at the dismal contents and sighed. "You're going grocery shopping."

Lilith whined. "Why do I have to do it?"

I turned to her and grinned. She sighed. Then yelped in surprise as the phone rang. I laughed at her and picked the phone up. "Yes?"

"Jacob Whitaker?"

My blood ran cold. "Who's asking?"

"...The concierge? Listen, some guy just dropped a package off and asked for Jacob Whitaker and Lilith Corbin."

I frowned and turned to Lilith who was now hovering over my shoulder. She shrugged. "I'll be right down." I said into the phone before hanging up. I nudged her towards the bedrooms. "Stay low and quiet. Anyone asks to come in that isn't me, don't open the door."

Lilith spun me around to face her. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head and pulled a jacket on. "Nothing."

"So what's the problem?"

"Nothing. I didn't get this far without being paranoid."

As she made to protest, I shut the door on her face. "I'm sorry, what was that?" I snorted and pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and descended the stairs to the ground floor. God this place smelled awful.

Entering the entrance of the dingy complex, I coughed to get the concierge's attention, my head down. She blinked. "Can I help you."

"There was a package for Jacob Whitaker and Lilith Corbin?"

She looked at him. "Are you Jacob?"

I nodded.

She shrugged and picked a rather large cardboard box off of the ground and handed it to me. "Here you are."

I murmured a thanks and walked back out into the stairwell. I threw my hood off and stared at it in horror. "Shit."

I placed my ear against it, listening for a tick-tock. Nothing.

My father wouldn't use anything less comical.

Could an assassin have sent it? Who the Hell did I, or Lilith, piss off?

Placing it on its side, I pulled a switchblade out of my back pocket and cut the side open. Couldn't be sure of the actual opening slits.

Moving packing peanuts out of the way, I winced and grabbed the black object inside.

A laptop. I let out a sigh of relief, grabbed the torn open box and marched back upstairs to our apartment.

"Who sent us a laptop?" Lilith asked.

"Who do you think?" I asked, tilting my head at her.

"This 'Calculator' guy?"

"Probably."

Setting the sleek black laptop on the kitchen counter, I flipped it open. Its screen was covered in multicolored blocks and lines on a black space.

Lilith frowned. "You already broke it."

I shared the frown. "Hello?"

After a beat of silence, the computer began whirring as the blocks began disappearing and it began booting up. Once it opened to the main screen, nothing happened.

Then someone Skype called us. The name merely read 'blocked'.

I answered it.

The screen turned to a shaded room, a bald man in glasses sitting cast in shadow in front of us.

"...Hi?" Lilith asked.

"Ms. Corbin. Jester," The man began. "I'm kinda disappointed in your choice of residence. I expected something more... dramatic. Anyways, I don't trust this connection so I'm going to be quick. You wanted in contact with me. You offered a lot of money. You're both trustworthy- maybe not you Lilith, but you Jester, wouldn't call unless it was important."

"Can you wipe our records?" I asked.

The Calculator snorted. "'Can I wipe your records'? I can wipe you off the face of the Earth if I wanted to- not in a threatening way, of course. Yes, I can wipe your records. It's going to cost a lot of money though."

"Never do anything you're good at for free, right right," I rolled my eyes. "I've got eighty-three thousand to wipe our records and... forge some records for the two of us."

He was silent for a moment. "...Yesterday I was talking to one of the most powerful men in the world about wiping the evidence of a genocide from his name, and now I'm going to 'wipe some records' and 'forge some records'..."

I shrugged. "Definitely."

"You're pretty ballsy, kid, I'll give you that. Fine, but I want the money to be wired digitally to me. Don't know what that means? Go to the Gotham National Bank, deposit the money to 'Casio Kashio's' account. They'll figure it out from there. Faster you do that, faster I get my money, faster you two go free. What records did you want forged?"

"School records."

The Calculator laughed. "That's a riot. Kindergarten through Freshman year. That'll do. Remember; get me my money, you go free. See? I'm a nice guy."

"Yes you are," I said. "Genocides included."

He chuckled as the feed cut. Then the laptop began spazzing out and it became unusable again.

* * *

"It's gone by pretty quickly, hasn't it?" Lilith asked.

I shrugged. "I suppose."

"Like yesterday we were still in Arkham."

"That was maybe a week ago."

"Not yesterday though, was it?"

We sat in the car staring at the large stone building. 'Gotham City High School'.

"Well, who wants to go in first?" I asked.

She elbowed me. "Why don't you go try out your new face?"

I looked in the mirror and faltered. The scars along my cheeks were hidden. Both of my eyes were blue. My hair was dyed black. I looked almost normal. "You did good." I said.

She was silent for a minute. "...I just looked it up online."

I grinned and hit her playfully in the shoulder. "And I looked up how to have a conversation online. You gotta learn sometime."

Lilith laughed quietly and I opened my door, stepping out.

 _I grinned and pulled the trigger. The man sitting in the chair's eyes opened in horror and the bullet ripped through his chest and out his back._

 _I giggled._

I gasped and stumbled, leaning against the curb. Lilith peeked over the top of the small car. "JJ?"

I waved her off and gasped for breath, staring at the concrete.

"Sir, are you alright?"

A middle-aged woman came walking towards me.

I struggled to look up at her. "I'm- I'm fine."

The woman gasped. "Your eye, are you alright?"

My eye. I looked at the concrete. My contact lens lay on the ground, cracked. I shook my head.

 _"Your guise fades, bit... by bit."_

"Excuse me?" I said, looking up at the woman.

She frowned. "I... didn't say anything, are you sure you're alright? Do we need to get you to the nurse?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine, than... thank you for your concern."

The woman stared at me in concern, but walked on. Lilith came around the car and kneeled down next to me. "Jay, are you sure you're-"

"I'm fine." I snapped. She frowned. I winced. "Sorry."

Lilith sighed. "Come on, let's get you up."

 _"Carry on my wayward son!"_

I jumped in shock and spun around. Nothing. Nobody.

Lilith sighed. "Wanna just go home?" Home.

I snarled. "No."

"You sure."

"Completely. Let's go."

Damn him.

* * *

I looked around in awe at the main entryway. Everything was clean and polished. The lights above shone brightly and clearly. The white of the pristine concrete walls was pure, like paper. Lilith looked at me. "Are you okay?"

"In awe." I responded quietly.

She followed my gaze around the massive room. "About what?"

"This is the nicest place I've ever been in."

Lilith ah'd in understanding.

She gestured to the side. "That's the admin's office. We should probably check in."

I raised an eyebrow. "Or just go straight to our class."

She sighed. "You're the dumbest smart person I know. Did you get your schedule?" I was silent. "Didn't think so."

I pinched her. She yelped and looked at me in surprise. Ignored her and opened the door to the office. The woman sitting at the front desk looked up at me. In my eye. I bristled but threw a smile on my face. She smiled in return. "How can I help you?"

I moved in front of her. "Hello, my friend and I are just transferring in. Jacob Whitaker and Lilith Corbin?"

She hummed and clicked at her computer. I leaned against the desk and rolled my eyes.

"Oh, there we are. Your records are here. Do you two have your schedules yet?"

I smiled thinly and shook my head. "No ma'am, we don't."

The woman peered at her screen and clicked a few more times before the printer behind her booted up and she handed Lilith and I sheets of papers. "Your locker combos and locker numbers are also on them." She added.

I smiled and nodded, already leaving the office.

Lilith snickered. "Could it kill you to be a little social."

"Yes."

She laughed and looked at her schedule. "I have world history first, room 114. What do you have?"

I peered at the schedule. "Design?" I frowned. "What the Hell is Design?"

Lilith laughed. "That's an art class. It'll be fine. I think you need an art credit to pass anyways. You'll figure it out. What room number?"

"...P4B? What the fuck?"

She shook her head. "No idea."

I sighed and turned around, stepping back into the front office. "Hello again, where is P4B?"

The woman gestured behind her. "Behind the school, it's a portable classroom."

I ah'd and tipped my head at her in thanks. Leaving the office I gestured my head at the entrance. "My class is outside the school."

"Oh, in a portable?"

At least she knew what was going on. "Hey, at lunch, meet back here?"

She nodded and extended her pinky finger. I stared at her. She rolled her eyes. "Pinky promise. Just do it."

I hesitantly raised my pinky finger and she wrapped hers around mine.

"Jeez your hand's scarred." She said.

And yours was smooth.

I grinned at her. "See you soon."

She nodded and turned. "See ya."

* * *

I stepped into the small classroom and the kids in it all turned to me and their faces fell in confusion. I looked at the teacher. He looked at me expectantly. I frowned. "I'm, uh, a transfer? Jacob Whitaker?"

He looked up in thought for a moment before snapping. "Right, right, right." He looked at a paper on his desk and pointed to a table in the corner. "You're over there, next to the blonde girl."

"Jessie."

"Whatever."

I furrowed my eyebrows and moved to the table. Three other teens sat around it. They all looked at me curiously. I ignored them.

The teacher walked over. "You've missed quite a bit, but right now we're just working on some warm-ups. I'll go get you your stuff, and the redhead-"

"Barbara?"

"Whatever, can fill you in."

I smiled thinly. "Thanks."

Barbara gave me a strange look. I raised an eyebrow.

She sighed. "It's just some free-flow drawing. Its pretty simple."

The teacher walked over, handed me a folder, a pencil, a pack of colored pencils and a pen, said something, then walked away.

I gestured at Barbara with my pencil. "Where do I know you from?"

She went tight-lipped. "I'm the GCPD Commissioner's daughter, probably."

I ah'd. Pig bitch.

The blonde, Jessie, smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Jessie."

My hand slowly snaked out and I shook hers. "Jacob."

She looked at our hands. "Wow, you've got really rough hands. Did you work on a farm before you came here?"

My hand curled into a fist and I pulled it back. "No."

"So where are you from?"

"Gotham."

"What high school did you go to before this? Oh, I bet it was Jordan Mem-"

"Jessie," Barbara- _Barbara Gordon_ \- cut in. "No need to interrogate him as soon as he sits down. You've got all year anyways."

I narrowed my eyes at her and then at my pencil gripped tightly in my hand, sharp end towards the blonde. Ah. Shit.

I leaned back in my chair and turned to the boy sitting to my left. "So who are you?"

He was brunette and slight in frame, glasses perched on his head. "Oh... I'm Cameron."

"Well, Cameron, hi." I drawled out. I stared at the folder in front of me derisively. I turned to Barbara. "So what am I doing?"

"You're just drawing. Just draw what comes to mind." She said, tapping my paper with her pencil.

I sighed and scribbled at the paper.

After a few minutes, the teacher came over and peered at the paper. "Hey, the Bat symbol?"

I rubbed my eye and looked at the paper. Right in the center, surrounded by the other smaller symbols was indeed the Batman's logo.

I dropped the pencil and flexed my fist. "I'm a fan."

"Really? You seemed more like the rebellious kinda guy." Barbara said. The teacher smiled and walked to the front of the class.

I raised an eyebrow at the Gordan. "And why is that?"

"Between the roguish hair, and your eyes? You kinda give that feel off. Maybe a nice leather jacket would look good." She said, waving her pen around.

I hid a scowl. "Sure."

"Class!" The teacher called, trying to get the teens' attention.

* * *

Stepping into the bathroom, I groaned and wiped my face. I leaned against a sink on one wall and sighed. I looked into the mirror.

The Joker stood in my place.

He looked where I looked. I reached a hand up and touched my- _his_ red painted lips, wiping at my- _his_ bright green hair.

"Get a room."

I turned. A boy, my age, raised an eyebrow at me. "Really, stop checking yourself out in public, its weird.

I turned back to the mirror and my reflection was normal again. "Right..."

The dark haired boy laughed shortly before stepping into one of the stalls. I took the chance to flee the room.

* * *

I sat in front of the main office as the teens walked about the school, the smell of food strong in the air. The noise was immense- like a less intense Arkham. It was perfectly chaotic.

I looked at the clock. 11:35. Fifteen more minutes before lunch ended. I sighed and rested my head against the wall.

"JJ!"

I turned my head. Lilith was walking up, flanked by another girl in a rock band t-shirt and skinny jeans. I waved half-heartedly. "Hi."

She sat down next to me. "I'm so sorry, I got caught up-"

"Don't. You're fine."

She frowned slightly. "...Well, um, this is Katherine."

I raised my eyes at the other girl in greeting. She waved slightly. "Hi."

Lilith sat down next to me. "So how's your day going?"

"It's fine," I said. "I... don't know how long I can do this."

Lilith nudged me with her elbow. "It's not that bad."

"You've got experience in this."

"Ha. It gets better. You gotta make friends though."

"I met Barbara Gordon. How's that?"

Katherine blinked. "You made friends with Barbara on your first day?"

"No." I said.

"Oh." She said.

Lilith nudged me again. "See? You're so sour."

"I am not."

Lilith hummed and pointed in front of us at a girl leaning against a wall, tapping away at her phone. "Fine. You're not sour? Go introduce yourself to that girl."

I laughed bitterly. "You forget who I am."

"You're a teenager. Do it like a teenager would."

Oh.

Pushing myself to my feet, I slowly walked over to the girl. She looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow. I gave her a smile and extended my hand. "Jacob."

She tilted her head curiously and tentatively shook my hand. "Liz."

I turned towards the bulk of the room. "So, this is my first day and," I laughed. "I'm a little lost. Do you know where the music hall is?"

Liz hummed and pointed in a random direction. "it's that way, on the left I think."

I bowed slightly to her. "Thank you. See you around?'

She shrugged. "I guess."

I turned and walked away. Circling back around, I sat back down next to Lilith. "There."

Lilith scoffed. "That was the most roundabout thing I think I've ever seen."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not good at 'normal'."

"So I see."

Katherine leaned around Lilith to look at the two of us. "How do you guys know each other?"

"We go way back." Lilith answered.

I nodded slightly.

Katherine shrugged, seemingly appeased.

I stood up. "Bell's about to ring. I've got fitness. You?"

Lilith fished through her backpack. "Chemistry. That sucks."

I shrugged and the bell rang. "See you later."

"Yeah," She said. "See ya."

* * *

I entered the gymnasium and looked around. Bleachers lined either side and the majority of the gym was polished wood planks. The teacher looked at me as I came in and I rolled my eyes. "Transfer. New here."

He nodded. "To the left is the locker rooms," Locker rooms? "Do you have any clothes with you?"

I frowned. "No?"

The teacher nodded again. "Okay. My office is next to the locker room. There's a barrel full of clothes to grab."

I sneered slightly. "I have to wear someone else's clothes."

"Dressing down is sixty percent of your grade."

"Ah. Very well then."

Stepping into the hallway, my nose wrinkled in disgust. Sweat was a smell I was used to- but not so pungent and concentrated as the area. Walking down the hall, I turned to a door to my right. There was a desk inside and the promised barrel of clothes.

Even the clothes seemed to be soaked in with the smell of grime.

Reaching in and pulling out a suitably sized and not overly repugnant outfit, I walked slightly further down the hall to a door labeled clearly 'Male Locker Room'. I stepped in and immediately held my nose.

Dear God.

Then I picked up a sound: moaning. I rolled my eyes. The moaning stopped.

"What are you doing?" A female voice asked.

"Is someone there?" A male voice asked, ignoring her.

"Oh no, please!" I called out. "Don't let me interrupt your very special time." I scowled as muttering and curses echoed around the room.

Stripping down and, rather hesitantly, pulling on the gym outfit, I looked deeper into the locker room. "I'm leaving now!"

I spat and left the locker room.

Stepping into the gym, I quietly took in the scene. Two classes lined up on opposite sides of the gymnasium. The teacher I had talked to stood at the line closest to me. He gestured his head. "Whitaker, you're at the end there, next to the ginger kid.

I sighed and took my place in the line. The ginger kid smelled heavily of... something. Something pungent and _strong_. He'd clearly never heard of deodorant.

After a few moments of near silence, the gym teacher gestured to the doors on the opposite side of the gymnasium. "Out on the track, two laps."

With minimal moaning, the class filed out through the door to the football field outside.

* * *

I huffed and rested my hands on my knees, sweat dripping down my face.

There was a sound of footsteps coming towards me and I looked up.

The dark haired boy grinned as he reached me. He had taken third lap.

"Hey, you're that guy from the bathroom, checking himself out."

I tried to regain my breath. "Was... was checking my hair. I's it."

He chuckled. "Not much of an athlete are you?"

I shook my head quietly.

The boy helped me straighten up. "Buckle up then. We're heading to the weight room after this. And Mr. Robinson _hates_ people who half-ass it."

I huffed. "Mr. Robinson can shove it."

He laughed. "Hey, name's Dick. Dick Grayson."

I weakly shook his hand. "Jacob Whitaker."

* * *

I groaned in exhaustion and slumped in the seat of my small car. I leaned against the dashboard as I waited for Lilith.

The driver's door opened.

"Hi Lil." I said.

She didn't answer.

I frowned and turned to her. "What's up-" I froze.

The Joker sat in the seat, tapping his hands happily against his thighs. He simply grinned at me.

I swallowed hard and my heart threatened to rip itself from my chest.

The door opened again.

"JJ? You okay?"

I blinked and Lilith stood in the open doorway, looking at me in concern. I swallowed. "I'm fine, sorry."

She climbed into the car and gave me a concerned frown before starting the engine. "Listen, we really should talk."

"No."

She turned to me. "Don't you 'no' me. I don't care if you're not comfortable with it- I can't help if I don't know what's going on."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what if I don't want your help."

Lilith blinked at me. Went silent. Turned forwards and pulled out of the parking lot.

I sighed. She was hurt, wasn't she?

"It's fucked up how you don't trust me, but you chose to start over with me." She said quietly as we pulled into traffic.

I turned to her. "I trust you, Lil. But we both know that the Joker isn't a guy who makes good conversation material."

"I don't want to 'have a conversation'. I want to understand what's going on."

"You don't."

She huffed and went silent again.

 **-Three Weeks Later-**

"Hey, freak!"

I snarled. Goddammit. I turned. An exceptionally large upper classman was walking towards me with his also large friends.

I turned and kept walking.

"Hey, Jake, wait!"

"Fuck off." I growled.

The group laughed. A few moments later, the group caught up with me, then passed me. The ringleader shoulder bumped me, sending me into the locker.

I snarled in rage. I clenched and unclenched my hands. I could kill him and he wouldn't even be able to stop it. None of them would. They didn't know the meaning of dangerous, they didn't know the things I'd done or what I could do, they didn't-

"Hey, whoa, calm down Jake. Screw them." I turned to the voice. Dick was walking up towards me, his hands up. "Bring it down, tiger. Don't even acknowledge them, guys like them don't even have two brain cells to rub together."

I closed my eyes and breathed. Like Lilly taught me.

I raised an eyebrow to him. "So, superhero, why bother saving the day?"

He frowned. "Superhero?"

"You just saved them."

Dick laughed. "That's scary, dude. You're scary."

I picked my binder off of the ground. "You've no idea."

He nudged me. "So, listen, I see you and that Lilith chick leaving school everyday. You guys a thing? It's not my business, sorry."

'A thing'? Ha. If only. "No. Just friends."

He leaned against the lockers. "Well, listen. I've been lookin' around, and frankly, you don't seem to have a lot of friends other than her."

I opened my mouth to protest and he tilted his head.

"And me." He added.

I glared at him.

Dick laughed. "You up to anything after school? Some friends and I are going to go mob."

"Mob?" I asked.

"Mob, as in, hang out. Run around. Have fun. You look like you could use it."

I thought about it. I did need to relax. And make friends. And... Lilith was home sick. "Sorry Dick, I can't. I've gotta get right home."

He pursed his lips. "Alright. Well, if you ever want to hang, just hit me up. It's nice to have a friend."

* * *

I sighed as I stepped into the apartment. "Lil! I got cold medicine crap!"

I waited for an answer. Nothing. I frowned and walked towards her room. Her bed was messy, but she wasn't in it.

"Lil!" I yelled out into the apartment. No answer.

I was going to be pissed if she left to do anything.

Sitting on the couch, I turned on the TV placed against one wall.

"The search for several escaped Arkham Asylum inmates continues on. We would like to remind you that it is not safe to travel at night. We have several pictures of the escaped patients now." The news reporter said, before eight pictures appeared.

I laughed at my picture. My green and purple hair was a mess, and my head was tilted backwards with a snarl placed on my face.

Lilith's picture was also up, and I frowned. She wore make-up, contact lenses, and the red streak had faded out of her hair, but she still looked remarkably like her mugshot. My frown deepened and I rose to my feet. What if they found her? Just broke in and carted her back to Arkham? I'd be damn happier when the Calculator made sure that the news stations conveniently forgot about us.

I walked to my room and looked around. Nobody. In the bathroom- nobody.

No Bat or Robin here then. They surely would've known that we were traveling together.

I sat back down and felt my heart plunge as I began thinking of the possibilities. I had no idea what the extent of her powers were. No doubt Batman could've taken her away, no matter what she could do. But what if it wasn't a cop, or a superhero? What if someone just broke in, and kidnapped her? Maybe her powers weren't worth shit when she was sick?

I snarled and threw the TV remote across the room.

I hated being powerless.

* * *

I huffed and looked at the clock. Three more minutes. Three minutes, then I was going to go look for her. It was almost seven at night. Something definitely wasn't right.

Someone knocked at the door. I froze. Then walked towards the door, rage slowly building up in my chest. If it was her-

I unlocked and opened the door.

Lilith stood in the doorway, an apologetic smile on her face. Her nose was red. She sneezed.

I shut the door.

She opened it up and stepped inside. "JJ, I'm sorry-"

I turned to her, incredulous. "You're 'sorry'?! I was worried fucking sick about you!"

She groaned. "I didn't want to be stuck inside all day-"

"You didn't want to be _stuck inside all day_?! You're _sick_! That's why you were home in the first place!"

She hit the small countertop. "I don't need you to puppy guard me all the time. I can take care of-" She sneezed. "Take care of myself!"

I scoffed. "Have you forgotten? We're escaped criminals-"

"I'm not a criminal." She said, staring me down.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine, we're escaped psychopaths! How's that?! I thought- you could've been taken away, and there was nothing I could've done about it! Batman or Robin, or fucking Superman could've gotten you-"

"Superman?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Never fuck with Superman, first rule- whatever, you get the point!" I said. "Worse, you could've... you could've been kidnapped."

Her glare melted. "I'm sorry JJ. I should've left a-"

"Don't. Just... fuck it." I growled, stalking off towards my room.

I slammed the door shut.

* * *

 _"Feel it. You're breaking apart, piece by piece. There's no escape..."_

* * *

I shot to a sitting position in my bed. I shook my head. It was pitch dark outside. The apartment was quiet.

God I hate dreams.

I lay back down and closed my eyes. I tried falling asleep for what felt like forever before I threw my blankets off of me and left my room. Sitting in front of the TV, I flipped it on and sighed. It was one o'clock in the morning. It was going to be a long night.

I blinked myself awake and looked around. The TV was turned off. The sun was peeking through the windows. I had a blanket draped over me. I turned to the kitchen clock. It read '9:12'. My eyes widened in surprise. School had begun over an hour ago.

Pressed onto the blanket was a sticky note.

 _'I'm sorry for running off yesterday. I should've said something. I let you sleep in today. You need a break. I'll bring chocolate when I come home. XP -Lilly'._

I sighed and stared at the TV. I really, _really_ didn't need to be home by myself.

* * *

I walked down the street, hands in my pockets. I looked around; this was the first time I'd been in downtown Gotham. It was... clean. Pristine. I stared into the shop of clothing store. The styles all seemed incredibly complex. And probably more than I could ever afford.

I looked around. The skyscrapers reached towards the sky. LexCorp, Wayne Tech, and several others without their owners' egos plastered all over them.

In the inkling of danger in the back of my mind, I could picture, _savor_ , the way the Joker would want it. The skyscrapers toppled to the ground, fires raging across the perfect streets, laughter and screams intermingling in the air.

I sneered. What a waste.

If I-

Huh. I shook my head. I probably should walk away.

I gave LexCorp one last long look, before turning back towards Gotham's less prestigious districts.

* * *

I lounged on the couch staring at the ceiling boredly. The TV droned on in the background.

Laughing greeted me from the door and I frowned, peering past the arm of the loveseat at it. A key jiggled with the lock and it swung open. Lilith stepped in, giving me an amused grin as she turned on her heel.

Her friend Katherine came in after her, and the surprise on her face was palpable as she noticed me. She pointed at Lilith then back at me. "But... wha... huh?"

Lilith laughed. "I brought chocolate."

I nodded with a 'hm'.

She walked over and kicked the back of the couch. "Whatsa matter?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Whatsa?"

"Whatsa matter?" She repeated.

I shrugged. "Retrospective."

"Ah. You do that a lot, you know?"

"Lilly!" Katherine called from her room.

Lilith flicked me and turned around, walking towards her friend. "What?"

I quirked a smile. Of course.

 **-Two Weeks Later-**

"What can any of you tell me about Ronald Reagan?" The teacher called.

I snorted and lay my head on my desk. The teacher didn't even bother calling me out on it.

"Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor and the 40th president." Gordon answered.

Perfect bitch.

"Excellent. Reagan was president 19..." Blah, blah, blah.

The class flew by and soon after, the teacher walked by, handing out homework papers. Collecting my binder, I left as the bell rang and stepped out into the wild halls of the high school.

"Yo, JJ!" I turned at the nickname.

Dick walked up to me with a grin. "Hey, me and some of the guys are hangin' out at the mall after school. Interested in coming?"

He hung out with relatively respectable guys. I sighed. "I'm drivin' today, sorry."

He sighed. "Jesus, you're whipped, man."

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"It happens all the time. You get a girlfriend, and she takes over your life. You should set at least a _little_ time apart for friends."

I laughed bitterly. "We're not dating. And she spends plenty of time with friends."

Dick pointed at me. "You need to do kickboxing or something. You've got plenty of pent-up aggression."

I checked the time. "I've gotta go, dude."

He hit me in the shoulder. "See ya."

* * *

I sat in the car.

Five minutes.

Ten.

I peered around the parking lot.

She wasn't coming was she?

I growled and hit the steering wheel, pulling the keys out and shutting the car off. I opened the door and stormed out of the parking lot towards the mall. Fine. I didn't need her.

* * *

"Yo, yo, yo, yo," Dick cut in between Adam and I. "Listen, I know Batman's really, really political and all, but we do not have to have a fight in the friggin' mall."

I snorted. "I'm just sayin'."

"I know," Adam said. He was muscular and tall, blonde short cropped hair covering his head. "But he does a really good job with criminals. Could the police deal with those superfreaks?"

"A gun could."

Dick groaned. I grinned. "Shit, Dick, what do you think?"

He threw his hands up. "I'm stayin' out of this one."

"Doesn't Wayne not like him?" One of Dick's friends asked.

Dick pointed at him. "I do not share his views, by the way."

Something clicked in my mind. "Hold on, back up, _Wayne_?"

One of the guys snickered. "Grayson's daddy."

Dick legitimately frowned for the first time in our short friendship. "He is not my dad."

"But you live with him."

"Right-"

"And he takes care of you."

"Debata-"

"And he gives you nice cars."

"May-"

"And his butler's your butler."

"Hey, leave Alfred out of it."

The guy laughed again.

I frowned. Something whirred in my mind.

"Well, of course it did!" The Joker said. "If it didn't, there'd have to be something seriously wrong! You're not stupid, kid!"

Adam turned around. "What are you looking at?" I bilnked. I'd been staring past him for the past few moments. I shook my head.

One of Dick's friends, Charlie I think, grinned. "He's lookin' at the hottie down there."

Lo and behold, a tall, athletic blonde girl stood, talking with her friend.

Charlie pushed me. "Go get 'er, tiger."

I snarled but didn't stop walking towards her.

"Whoops!"

I tripped. Fell into her. Her drink splashed on her shirt. She glared at me and threw her cup on the ground. "Jerk!" She stormed off. Her friend glared at me before following after her.

A chorus of laughs went off behind me. I growled in irritation.

I turned with a thin smile. "Hey, that reminds me, it's time for me to go, yeah, really."

They booed with a few 'no's' peppered in. Dick grinned. "Hey, I'll give you a ride home."

I nodded a quiet thanks as he said a quick goodbye to the group.

* * *

I blinked and ran my hand along the sleek arm of the chair. Dick's car was far, far more expensive than a sophomore should've had.

It was a friggin' Ferrari. Black.

Dick grinned. "Nice, huh?"

I was in slight shock. "So... Wayne, huh?"

"Yeah. He took me in after my parents passed away."

I stilled. "Your parents?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. If you don't mind me asking... what happened to yours?"

"...They're not around anymore."

"Ah."

The car went quiet.

He chuckled quietly. "I remember, my parents were in a circus- the Flying Graysons. They taught me all I know about gymnastics-"

My blood ran cold. Gymnastics?

"And they'd bring me to the circus and, man the lights, the sounds... it was great."

I frowned slightly. "They sound... like they were great."

He smiled slightly goofily. "Yeah... they were."

* * *

I entered the apartment quietly. It was slightly unnerving to have Dick know where my apartment was, especially since...

Where was Lilith?

I listened closely. Music was coming from the bedrooms. I walked past the kitchen into the hallway and turned towards her door. Heavy metal music blasted through the door. I pushed it open slightly. Lilith sat on her bed, a guy in a rock band t-shirt sitting across from her. They were laughing and talking.

I pushed the door open. They turned to me in surprise. I pointed at my ear. "Turn it down!"

The guy scrambled for the phone and turned the music down dramatically.

Lilith waved at me. "Hi JJ."

I closed the door.

"See? What's left here? What's left there? What's left in his dingy, tiny apartment? What's left with that school? What's left in his appalling thing you try to pass as your life?"

I entered my room and closed the door.

Lilith's room was covered in posters with books and binders scattered around. Mine was bare and empty. I didn't even bother trying to make a life.

"This city looks so pretty, would you like to burn it with me?"

No.

But damn if I didn't want it. Something clicked.

I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling, lost in my thoughts; ever aware of the hours ticking away.

* * *

 **A/N: And so ends Act One! We've passed the introduction arc, you know who the Jester, and by extension "JJ" is, and you know where he comes from- or so you think.**

 **Power is a dangerous and alluring tool.**

 **And the Jester craves nothing if not power.**

 **It's kind of interesting to me to see how different a direction this story's gone. As I may or may not have said before, and you may or may not have read, this is the second and greatly improved version of this story. The Jester originally never wanted to escape the villainy life, whilst this one does, which makes for an even more interesting possible multiverse meeting. So, there will be a two week break between this one and the next chapter. That gives me time to write the next chapter, and enough to draft this chapter over to Death's Deal (and 8 thousand words is a lot to rewrite).**

 **Anywho, thanks for reading. That's all I've got today- see you in the next chapter.**

 **Review! It gives me happiness and more motivation to write!**

 **LOL, RR**

 **-Ya Boy**

* * *

 **Act 2 Trailer: Play 'Legacy' by Eminem**

 ** _Tell me where to go, tell me what to do, I'll be right there for you; tell me what to say, no matter if it's true, I'll say it all for you..._**

 _The Jester grinned as he threw a man at the Joker's feet._

 ** _I used to be the type of kid that would always think the sky is falling, why am I so differently wired, am I a Martian?_**

 _The Jester ran from the scene of the crime, feeling the weight of the murder on his mind._

 ** _What kind of twisted experiment am I involved in, because I don't belong in this world,_**

 _The Scarecrow-_ The Joker _\- poked and prodded at the Jester, ripping him apart mentally, bit by bit._

 ** _That's why I'm scoffin' at authority, defyin' often, flyin' off at the handle with my mom, no dad,_**

 _The Jester threw a heavy shot at the Batman, sending the Dark Knight- sending the Joker- reeling slightly backwards._

 ** _So I'm non compliant at home, at school, I'm just shy and awkward,_**

 _The Jester sat alone at the highschool cafeteria, watching quietly as the teens bustled around him, unaware of the murderer sitting right in their midst- ignorant of it._

 ** _And I don't need no goddamn psychologist trynna diagnose why I have all these underlying problems,_**

 _The Joker grinned and tripped the Jester, sending the young clown toppling into a girl, making her spill her drink down her shirt._

 ** _Thinkin' he can try and solve them, I'm outside chalking up drawings on the sidewalk, and in the front drive talkin' to myself,_**

 _Lilith prattled on at the Jester, talking about something he didn't care about. The Joker walked in and made a finger gun, sticking it against her head and making a 'pow' sound._

 ** _Either that or inside hiding often to going somewhere quiet, I had a bad day at school so I ain't talkin,_**

 _Lilith sat on the couch next to him, in the car with him, in the front lobby with him, "Do you wanna talk about it?"_

 _"No."_

 ** _Some cocksucker shoved me into a fucking locker, and said that I eyeballed him._**

 _The large athlete shoulderbarged the Jester, sending him into the locker. The Jester grinned and dashed at him, drawing a shard of glass-_

 ** _And if you fall, I'll get you there, I'll be the savior from all the wars that are fought, inside your world, please have faith in my words..._**

 _He fell to his knees, sobbing. Lilith crouched down and pulled him into a hug. The Jester looked up into Harley's eyes. "It'sokay baby," She cooed. "Mama's got ya."_

 ** _Cause this is my legacy, legacy, here, this is my legacy, legacy, here..._**

 _The Jester laughed and spread his arms out, Wayne Tower toppling to the ground behind him._

 ** _There's no guarantee, it's not up to me, you can only see- this is my legacy, legacy; legacy, legacy..._**

 _He pulled a gun out and fired it giddily at the sky. Fires burned high above the skyline. Gotham was his-_

 ** _I used to be the type of kid that would always think the sky is falling, now I think the fact that i'm differently wired's awesome,_**

 _The Jester ran from the scene of the crime, grinning as he clutched the suitcase to his chest. Several million dollars inside, he could do anything-_

 ** _'Cause if I wasn't I wouldn't be able to work words like this and connect lines like crosswords,_**

 _A screen flickered on. Robin stared up at it blearily. The Jester grinned at him and began a winding speech, a manic look in his eye._

 ** _And use my enemy's words as strength to try and draw from, and get inspired off 'em,_**

 _The Batman glared at the young killer. "You're done, Jester."_

 _"Contrary, Batman! We've only just begun!"_

 ** _Cause all my life I was told and taught I am not shit, by you wack fucking giant sacs of lying dog shit!_**

 _The police officer scoffed and leaned against the interrogation table. "You're not much, are ya?"_

 _The lights flickered off and on. The cop stared in horror at the Jester standing at his full height, knife slashing towards his throat._

 ** _Now you shut up, bitch, I am talking! Thought I was full of horseshit and now you fucking worship the ground in which I am walkin'!_**

 _The Batman lay on the ground, armored suit in tatters and blood covering his skin. The Jester stood above him, waving his arms as he gave a speech to the entirety of Gotham._

 ** _This is my legacy, legacy, here, this is my legacy, legacy, here,_**

 _The Jester stood at the window of Wayne Tower, grinning down at his city. He could nearly see Metropolis in the horizon. Another challenger._

 ** _There's not guarantee, it's not up to me, you can only see,_**

 _He stood on a podium. The Bat's symbol burned on a huge flag behind him. He was unstoppable._

 ** _This is my legacy, legacy- legacy, legacy._**


	7. Tower of Justice, Pit of Despair

" **I want to stand as close to the edge without going over. Out on the edge, you see all kinds of things you don't see from the dark."**

 **-Kurt Vonnegut**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own wit, my character's wit, the other characters' wit and my own wit. I do not own Wolf's lack of wit.**

' _Why?' 'Why'? Why indeed. Maybe I thought that it would be safe…er. Safer._

* * *

"Now, I know this may all seem a little strange to you." I said.

The large upper classman stared at me in horror, whimpering against the duct tape gag. I waved the gun around casually.

"See, I'm leaving, very soon. And, as much of a shock as this might seem, I actually don't like killing. Hate it. But, I've gotta tie up loose ends. You being chief among them. See, I'm doing the world a service. Killing a bully? Ha. Goes to show, be careful who you bully. Really though, I'll try to make it as painless as possible. Swear on my life."

The teen whimpered in terror against the gag. I sighed. "Die with some dignity, yeah?"

I pulled the trigger.

* * *

I gingerly dropped the gun by the door of the closet. Crane would throw a fit about leaving evidence.

In a few days, it wouldn't even matter.

A short walk brought me to the apartment complex. Entering Lilith's and I- I suppose just Lilith's- apartment, I pulled my shirt off. Blood had splattered on it, and I was sure that we didn't have bleach. Neither of us wore a lot of white anyways. Dark red contrasted with my pale skin and highlighted the thin muscles lining my body. Perhaps the one good thing to come out of this; Fitness in school demanded higher athleticism.

I digress. The entire apartment was quiet. Lilith must've left with friends. Or perhaps that guy. Didn't matter to me. I was only going to be staying here for a couple more hours. I walked to my room. Everything worth taking was packed into a small suitcase. Where was I going, you ask? I didn't know, but the only thing for sure was that I had tracked down Robin.

Did I forget to mention that?

It was simple. Grayson wasn't a fool, but he was transparent. And I knew very well what Bruce Wayne looked like.

Tall, stocky athletic man with a strong jawline? Tall, thinner athletic teen with great cheekbones and black hair that did gymnastics? Easy as baking a cupcake.

Besides, I had access to public records, some legal and some not so much. The only person who fit Robin's build was our very own friendly Richard Grayson- who's parents were killed in front of him. Ring any bells? So were Bruce's.

So Bruce took in broken kids. Didn't quite explain who Batgirl was, seeing as how there were a lot of redheads in Gotham, but that didn't matter.

I had a date with destiny.

* * *

I grinned amiably as I stood outside the enormous manor. The butler gave me the once over as he opened the door. "You must be Master Richard's friend." He was an older man, maybe 60, with a distinct British accent.

"Yessir." I said.

He stepped to the side and let me in. "Master Grayson and his friends are in the living room, straight ahead."

"Thank you, sir."

He nodded, presumably at my manners, and closed the door behind me, and escorted me towards the living room. Dick and four of his friends were sitting in front of a huge TV, playing video games. Dick grinned as he watched me enter and rose to greet me. "Jake!"

I gave him a knuckle bump. "Big enough house?"

He shrugged. "I prefer more homey places myself, but it's nice. Thanks, Alfred."

The butler bowed slightly and walked away.

Dick sat down and gestured for me to join him. "We're on Round 30."

I frowned. "Round 30?"

He gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry. It's a... zombie game, I guess. You survive for as long as you can. It goes in rounds, and the rounds get progressively harder as you go."

"The FitnessGram Pacer test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that gets progressively more difficult as it continues..." One of his friends muttered. The other three booed and threw trash at him.

"Hey, don't make Pennyworth have to pick that up!" Dick said.

I looked around. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Hm? Just down the hall to the left and straight ahead."

I nodded and walked down. Directly across from me was another hallway. I had maybe six minutes to find what I was looking for. I searched for what felt like forever, occasionally looking down at the watch I had stolen for the mission. One minute. Two. Four. Six.

I was out of time. Robin would be suspicious after this.

"May I help you, Master Jacob?"

I turned. The butler, Alfred Pennyworth was staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

I blinked. "I was looking for the bathroom." Good job.

"The bathroom was next to the staircase, sir." He said, dropping his hands.

I hummed in agreement and grabbed a marble bust from besides me and chucked it at him. He dodged it narrowly. He looked over his shoulder, then back at me. "I may be old, but I can still beat your gormless ass." He said, adjusting his cuffs.

I grinned and pulled a knife from my belt. "You're welcome to try, _wanker_."

Alfred put his hands up in a combat stance. I lifted my knife. He took a step towards me. I threw the knife. It impacted him towards the left of his stomach. He winced and fell to his knees. I tipped an invisible hat at him and turned, walking the other direction.

Now offered the question: if I was an insane vigilante, where would I hide my goodies? Not in his manor-general, not in his little tower. A study, maybe? It would be locked, but a boot could do the trick.

A few minutes of walking introduced me to a small, poorly lit room. I kicked the double doors in. A single desk sat in the center, with a large painting of the manor on a wall, and a grandfather clock located on another wall. I frowned.

No busts. I picked up a framed picture off the desk. Two people, a man and a woman, in fine, fancy clothes. Martha and Thomas Wayne. What a joke.

I turned to the grandfather clock and stared at it. Slowly a grin crept onto my face. " _No_ ," I opened the glass case and spun the hands. "You've got to be kidding me."

The hands locked into place and the clock slid to the side.

I laughed. "That's hilarious."

Behind the clock was a long, white-lit staircase. I descended the stairs.

* * *

After what felt like forever, the staircase gave way to a wider set of stairs that climbed down into a... enormous cavern. Lights were attached to the ceiling and the floors were lined with metal. Directly ahead of me was a comically large set of monitors with a single office chair sitting in front of them. I grinned and half-jogged down the stairs.

Standing in front of the glowing monitors, I was washed in a bright blue glow. Sitting down I grinned at the large keyboard in front of me.

I could explore the cave later. I had a job to do.

* * *

Dick growled and jogged down the hidden stairs, two or three at a time. He didn't know who Jacob was, but he came here with the express interest of causing harm. He stabbed Alfred, for fuck's sake.

He stepped into the Batcave and sent a look around. Sitting in front of the Batcomputer was Jacob, busily typing away at the keyboard.

"Jacob!"

The other teen spun in the chair. "Robin!"

Grayson's face paled in horror. The other teen's face had changed. He had a horrible Glasgow scar stretching across his cheeks. A grossly skin like strip lie on the desk of the supercomputer. Jacob noticed Dick staring and turned to the strip.

"Oh, that? Right, right, right, that."

"Jester." Dick breathed, as the pieces slowly came together.

The Jester shrugged and stood up. "If you want to call me that sure."

"You were right in front of me the entire time."

"Well, not really. JJ was- that's confusing, I know. I give credit to Ms. Corbin for that one."

Dick slowly descended the stairs, staring at the young criminal. The Jester put his hands up. "Hey, I'm not here to fight. How is Alfred, actually? I'd hate to have accidentally killed him."

"As opposed to purposefully?" Robin asked.

"Hey, I hate killing when unnecessary," The Jester answered. "Besides I'm kind of expecting you to take me into custody. See, I've got all this nice information on my mind now. Clark? Diana? Hal? Barry? What kind of name is _Barry_? Anyways, I figure that you can get me to the authorities faster than I could and, oh, that would be _great_."

Dick narrowed his eyes and tapped twice at the communicator in his pocket. " _Batman_." It said.

"What do you want, Jester?" Grayson asked.

The jester hummed. "Well, a lot of things. But chief among them; a little bit of power."

" _Get down_." The communicator said.

Dick ducked. The Jester frowned before a swarm of bats descended from the ceiling, surrounding the young criminal.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

He ran around, swiping at the bats. Dick pulled the communicator out. "Can you call them off? I can take him."

A sharp sound echoed around the cave and the bats screeched before scattering into the cave. Dick rushed to the young criminal and threw a punch.

The Jester opened an eye long enough to see the fist soaring towards the side of his head. "Son of a bitch."

* * *

"I don't understand." J'onn said.

The core members of the Justice League sat around their 'meeting table'. Bruce sat silently. Clark was frowning, looking at the other members, while Diana was fiercely debating Hal Jordan at the moment. Barry sat silently.

"This isn't up for debate." Wonder Woman said.

"It shouldn't be! The kid's gotta go, or he's gotta lose that information." The Green Lantern countered.

"Bruce?" J'onn asked. The brooding superhero looked around.

"It's against everything we stand for. I'm not sure why this conversation is still happening."

Superman leaned forwards. "Bruce, he knows our secret identities. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our friends and families. We have to do something about him. If that information gets into the wrong hands..." He trailed off, leaving them to fill in the blanks.

"I will not sit here and let you destroy his psyche." Batman said resolutely.

"Could it be for the worst?" The Flash asked. "He's not exactly a good kid."

"But he's a _kid_." Diana countered.

"A kid that stabbed Batman's butler, and has murdered before." Hal added.

"Do we know what he wants?" Clark asked.

"No. Robin never got the chance to ask." Bruce said.

"We probably should ourselves then. Or I can at least get inside his head." J'onn said.

* * *

The Jester sat against a wall, picking at his fingernails. The Watchtower jail cells were rarely used; if a planetside prison was too little for a villain, than odds were that any prison was too little. Plus, there was an added aspect of danger of keeping a supervillain at their headquarters.

"Metal boots, even cushioned ones, make a lot of noise on metal flooring, Bruce. Speaking of, how do you sneak around in those?" The Jester asked without looking up.

"Get up." The Batman growled.

"Oh, am I on Death Row now? I vaguely remember never getting my last meal- where is the priest?"

He was far too relaxed. It made no sense.

The Jester rose to his feet, stretching. "Well? What did you guys decide? Are you going to let me go, kill me, what?"

Batman didn't react, merely opening the door. The young criminal stepped amiably towards the hero. "Did you guys ever find that guy? The one I shot?"

Bruce mentally checked that information away for later. There were more pressing matters at the moment.

The Jester hummed to himself as the Bat led him down the hallway towards the rest of the Justice League leaders. Watchtower staff and other heroes stopped to watch the duo walk by. The criminal grinned to himself.

They turned a corner. The core members of the League stood resolutely, next to a large chair.

"You guys don't look too terrified, so let's ramp it up- Lois Lane," He said, pointing to Superman. "Carol Ferris," Green Lantern. "Iris West," Flash. "And I've gotta admit, J'onn, it's weird. Not a single Martian left, gotta be rough."

The clown looked over his shoulder at the Batman. "And Bruce! So smart, not to have your own info at large." The Jester chuckled. "Oh I can't imagine your thoughts right now. 'Dearest Dark Knight doesn't trust us?' No. He doesn't. He's prepared to defeat each and every one of you. Now, that's smart _until_ a rat finds its way into his cave. Then someone like me figures out that you're mortal. You are not gods."

"Why exactly are still letting him talk?" Flash asked.

"Because you're interested. You could shut me up, punch me into oblivion, send me out the airlock, whatever you plan to do. But you're interested." The young criminal answered.

"No." J'onn said. "We are not."

"Batman's ready to take us on if we lose our way." Superman continued.

"Plus, we don't trust you. So there's that." Green Lantern finished.

The Jester blinked. "Huh."

Martian Manhunter cocked his head to the side. "Bring him to a chair, Batman. This will be pleasanter sitting."

Bruce manhandled the teen, dragging him to a chair. He pushed the clown there and held him still.

J'onn walked around the chair and placed his fingertips to the sides of the Jester's head. "Hold him still. There will be resistance."

Batman had already walked away. The Martian sighed and looked to Superman. "If you will?"

Clark nodded and held the teen's arms against the chair.

The Jester winced. "Ooh, ow, tight grip."

Superman shook his head. "That's the least of your worries, at the moment."

"Such a villain thing to say, Clark."

Martian Manhunter flexed hard and the Jester's head whipped backwards, slamming against the chair. His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

J'onn focused, searching through the young clown's mind. He nodded slightly to himself.

The Jester grinned.

The Martian let out a gasp of shock and stumbled backwards. The young criminal seized slightly before falling limp in the chair. The Flash shot forwards, catching the green man before he fell.

J'onn shook his head. "He forced me out."

Hal frowned. "What?"

"He... simply forced me out."

Barry waved his hand in front of the clown's face. "Well, he's pretty much completely knocked out."

Superman stared at the teen. "I'll keep an eye on him. Manhunter, go take a break."

* * *

The teen slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the bright lights above him. He shook his head and slowly sat up. "Hello?" He called out.

There was a dull clattering next to him. He turned to the source. A tall, athletic man in a bright yellow and blue set up and combed blond hair stared at him.

"Hi?" The teen said.

The man slowly looked over his shoulder. "Supermaa _an_!"

There was a whir and a flash of blue, and the Man of Steel was standing in front of the teen.

"Hi?" The teen repeated.

Clark didn't say anything. Just stared at the scarred teen's face.

The teen slowly shrank into the chair under the gaze.

"Manhunter." Superman called.

The green skinned alien rose from the floor. The teen stared in horror.

J'onn put his hand to the teen's head. "It's empty- no. _Scarred_. Things have been removed or blocked, but he retains many instincts and impulses."

"Is he dangerous?"

"No. Anything related to Gotham has been erased, except for his survival instinct."

"Then get him off of the Watchtower. I don't want him here any longer than necessary."

"Understood. Batman was preparing to leave. He may escort him back to Gotham."

Superman nodded. "Good."

The teen shook his head in a daze, proverbial cobwebs clouding his mind. He was helped from the chair and escorted towards the teleporter platform of the Watchtower.

* * *

Barry slowly dropped his fry onto his plate. "Jeez."

Hal followed his gaze. "What?"

The Flash pointed. "Look at him."

Green Lantern's eyes locked onto the windows of the cafeteria peering into the hallway.

The Jester slowly dragged himself forwards, Superman holding him by the shoulder. The teen was hunched over, knees almost doe-like. His head was hung low and wet, thin hair blocked his gaze.

He looked vulnerable.

"Almost looks like a kid." Flash said quietly.

Hal sighed. "Yeah... I'm not hungry anymore."

"Ditto."

* * *

Wonder Woman let out a roar and slashed her sword into the holographic training dummy, bisecting it down the middle. She turned over her shoulder as she heard the door open.

Her mouth dropped slightly. "By Hera."

The Jester was hunched into himself, arms crossed around his stomach. He was barely shuffling forwards. Superman's pace was slowed to a crawl, the hand on the teen's shoulder no longer gripping it; merely guiding him forwards. Clark caught Diana's gaze. He shook his head and averted his eyes.

The Man of Steel looked around. Several other scattered heroes and personnel stopped to look at the teen.

Clark flinched as a hand rested on his shoulder. The teen shakily looked up at Diana as she stared at him in pity. "Superman," She said. "Don't parade him around."

Superman nodded and scooped the teen up, flying quietly forwards quickly.

* * *

Batman's eyes were stony and guarded as Clark landed in front of him. Superman gently set the shaky teen onto his own feet.

"Batman, make sure he gets taken care of, okay?"

Bruce grabbed the teen, pulling him onto the teleporter pad with him. He never took his cold eyes off of Clark.

Superman sighed and looked up and nodded at the man working the teleporter.

Clark was left with the last image of Bruce's disappointed eyes staring at him without an ounce of warmth.

* * *

The teen jumped as he appeared inside the warm interior of the mansion. Batman looked up. "Butler."

An older man came walking around the corner. "Master B- oh my."

The teen shook as he stared at Alfred. No recognition flashed through his eyes.

"I need to go arrange something. Make sure he stays put."

"Of course, sir." As the Batman walked away, Pennyworth shook his head and led the teen to a chair. "Young master, I need to attend to something. Do not move. I'll be back shortly.

* * *

The dazed teen sat in the main entryway of Wayne Manor, looking around with glazed eyes.

"Jesus, what did they do to you?"

The teen turned towards the voice. A teen that looked almost the same age as him stared at him in pity.

The teen shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "I... I don't know."

The other teen stared at him in silence for a few moments. "Do you remember me?"

A head shake.

"I'm Dick Grayson. I was... I'm your friend. God, look at you. How could they do that to you?"

"You're my... friend?" The teen asked. "Where the fuck am I?"

Dick blinked. A spark of life appeared in the Jester's eyes. "Gotham City."

"'Gotham City'? And where are you going?"

Dick looked down at the secured bag at his side. "I'm... I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Where?"

"...To Jump City."

"'Jump'?"

"Yeah."

Something clicked in the amnesiac criminal's eyes. He looked like he was devising a plan. It was slightly unnerving to Robin. "You alright?'

"What? Yeah. Can you help me figure out where I need to go?"

"...Batman had a plan for you."

"Is Batman 'they'?"

"...Yeah."

"So why leave it to him? He sounds like a prick."

A smirk twitched onto Dick's face. His eyes were still filled with pity though. _I get that he was dangerous, but wiping his mind? That's cruel. "_ Yeah. He kind of is. Listen... I've gotta go. If you follow the road it'll bring you to one of the main streets of upstate Gotham, okay? But... stay out of trouble, okay?"

"What's my name?" The teen asked.

Robin felt his heart sink. "I... I don't know anymore."

The teen's mouth straightened into a thin line and he nodded slightly.

Dick couldn't take it; he turned towards the garage, grabbed his motorcycle and left.

The teen watched him go.

* * *

 **A/N: Shorter chapter, but you've gotta ease into these things. This is the start of perhaps one of my favorite sagas in any story I've done.**

 **Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... grab your butts. It's just about curveball time.**

 **-Infernokota**


	8. The Ace of Spades

**"It's hard to tell who has your back... and who has it just long enough to stab you in it."**

 **-Nicole Richie**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my characters. Wolf just happens to not be mine.**

 _How dare you. I loved them. Too much. That was the problem. That was always the problem._

* * *

Robin stepped into the living room and took a deep breath in. "This is it, then?"

"Heck yeah it is."

Robin turned as a skinny green skinned teen grinned and looked around, dropping a bag onto the floor.

"Security system's up and going." A tall, bulky dark skinned teen said. He was covered in ninety-five percent technology and metal; the right side of his face was the only skin visible.

"Oh, I am overly filled with the joy!" An orange-skinned teen said, giggling as she flew above the heads of the others.

"...It's nice." The speaker was pale, a purple, hooded cloak obscuring the majority of her appearance. She didn't sound overly impressed.

An alarm went out through the base. The green skinned teen groaned. "We can't even get comfy?"

"First piece of action, Beast? C'mon, it'll be a blast!" The cybernetic teen said with a grin.

"Oh friend Cyborg, I wish to see how much weight you can lift!" The orange teen said.

"Starfire," Robin said. "Maybe we should deal with the alert first?"

"Only if Raven will fly with me!" Starfire said, touching down in front of the pale, cloaked teen.

"Sure." She said without any enthusiasm.

* * *

The robber ran, purse in hand. He cut down a dark alleyway and skidded to a stop.

"Listen, I'm kind've new to this, so can you explain how this is supposed to go?"

Standing down the alley from him was a lean muscled young man- teen, actually. He was dressed in a black hoodie with black gloves, pants, and shoes. Over his face was a black mesh mask. He held a baseball bat at his side.

"Who the Hell are you?" The robber asked.

"No idea, actually. But that's besides the point," The teen retorted, waving the bat around. "See, I was trying to catch up with a friend when all of a sudden, this lady screams. This scumbag had taken her purse, and I thought to myself," He put his hand to his mouth in an overdramatic gasp. "What kind of terrible person does that? So I chase him down, and lo and behold, I corner him- you still following?"

The robber pulled out a small pistol. "Stop it! I'll shoot, I swear it! Walk away!"

The teen shook his head. "No, no, no. I'm not sure how this usually goes, but it's gonna end with you handing me that purse- unconscious or not, it doesn't matter to me."

The robber's hand shook and the teen dashed at him. The baseball bat slammed into the man's knee, sending him crashing down. The teen rolled the robber onto his stomach and placed the edge of the bat against the man's elbow.

"Are ya gonna give me the purse?"

"Yes, don't break it!"

The teen leaned down and grabbed the purse. "Thanks."

The robber shuddered and pulled himself into a sitting position as the teen walked out of the alley. "Who the Hell are you?!"

The teen stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Huh..." He thought about it for a few moments. "Ace. The Ace of Spades. Ooh, yeah, that's good." Placing the bat into his armpit, he high-fived himself and continued out of the alleyway.

* * *

Robin nodded with a quiet thanks and turned away. He pulled out his communicator. "Someone already returned the purse."

"And we've found the robber." Beast Boy said over the line.

"He's pretty shaken up," Cyborg added. "His kneecap's broken. He mentioned something about a kid in a completely black outfit; black hoodie and mask with a baseball bat. Anyone we know?"

Robin shook his head. "I don't think so. Was there any heroes in Jump before we showed up?"

"No. Plus, I've never heard of someone with a baseball either- what?" There was a beat of silence. "The guy's saying 'The Ace of Spades'. That's what the hero called himself."

Robin frowned. The Ace of Spades? "I'll look into it. Robin out."

He sent another look around the area before shaking his head and piloting his bike away.

* * *

"It's homey." Ace said, looking around. The cavern was cold, comfortably so. The tunnels had a slight moist feel to them, and were pitch dark. The young hero frowned. "Thought there would be more bats."

He shrugged and dropped his bags. He'd need at least four generators because, Jesus, it was a wide cavern. He'd also need a lot of lamps.

A lot of lamps.

* * *

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Ace said, lazily swinging his bat around.

The bank robbers turned in shock. "What the hell?!"

Ace of Spades peered at the car. "A beat up Jalopy. Shame. Expected something bigger for a couple of idiots with big ambition. Oh well."

One raised his gun. "Listen, walk away kid, and we won't hurt you."

"Jesus, you guys are all the same. 'Walk away, or we'll shoot'. The clichés, it's... disappointing."

They shared a look. Ace took a deep breath, inflating his chest. "Now listen here, ne'er-do-wells! You have five seconds to drop your bags and walk away with intact faces!"

The robbers didn't drop the bag.

Ace shrugged. "I tried." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a grenade. He moved to pull the pin out.

They made sounds of protest. "Woah, what the hell are you doing?!"

The new hero blinked behind his mask. "...Blowing this place up?"

"Don't, kid. Whatever the hell is wrong with you, don't."

A grin crawled onto Ace's face. "Oh? Or you'll shoot? I can guarantee you that I can pull this pin before you sho-"

One of them fired and the hero dove to the side, pulling the pin. Smoke poured out of the grenade, fogging up the entryway to the small building and the section of the road they were on.

"Jimmy, you okay?!" One yelled out. Ace grinned and leaned over his shoulder.

"Boo."

The man jumped in shock and fired a shot. Ace slammed his baseball bat, sending him down to a knee. He slammed the black bat into the robber's head, sending him crumpling to the ground.

"Murphy, bud, are you there?"

Ace stared down at him from his position on top of the car. He placed the bat behind the final robber's head like a golf club. He pulled it back and swung hard, hitting the man's skull with a solid 'dink'.

"And, it's good for the par!" He said to himself, clapping quietly.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?"

The hero turned over his shoulder. A pair of glowing green eyes floated eye level with him a few feet into the smoke.

"Hello?" The girl asked again, peering forwards.

Ace looked down at his black outfit. "Shit."

The girl gasped. "Who are you?"

The teen stared into her eyes for a few moments before chucking the baseball bat at her face.

* * *

"Hello?" Starfire called out into the smoke for the second time.

"Shit." Someone cursed from inside the thick smoke.

She peered forwards and made out the figure of a man in all black. He was thin, with no discernable features.

Her head snapped to the side as something went flying past her, clattering harmlessly onto the asphalt behind her.

"Star, you okay?" Robin called out.

The young alien turned back towards the heart of the smoke. The hazy man disappeared, leaving no trace of him.

"I am fine, Robin." She said quietly, floating backwards out of the smoke. It had begun dissipating by that point, and she could easily pick out Robin perched on his motorcycle.

He raised an eyebrow as she appeared, the smoke all but gone. "What happened?"

Starfire stared at the unconscious bodies laid out on the concrete sidewalk. One's head was split open. The duo made their way towards them, picking the unsuccessful robbers up.

"I believe it was the Ace of Spades."

"Yeah?" Robin asked, stopping by the black baseball bat.

A white spade was sloppily painted on it, with white streaks where the wet paint had dripped.

* * *

Ace groaned and rotated his neck as he slunk back into his hideout, the cavern lit up brightly with a handful of LED lights. The passageways leading further into the cave system were haphazardly blocked off with wood.

He plopped down on an appropriated couch. "Fuck."

The anti-hero grabbed a pencil and notepad, sketching down what little he had seen of the girl.

Bright, completely green eyes. Orange skin. That was all he had. Above the description was a single word.

Robin.

* * *

 **-Fourth of July-**

Ace sat on the rock, humming as he stared up at the dark sky, fireworks exploding brightly in the night. Across the harbor, an enormous Ferris wheel whirled, the city amusement park packed for the weekend.

"Glor nar yag."

Ace froze at the voice from behind him. He slowly turned.

The woman was tall and athletic. She looked a couple years older than him. Black hair ran down her back and purple eyes contrasted orange skin. She was dressed in a metal suit, a black top and a black skirt matching black boots. Her hand was raised and was glowing purple as a slight hum built up from it.

"Oh." He said.

"Guya glorg'nor?"

"Say what?"

She rolled her eyes and grabbed him by his collar, pulling him up to her level, pulling his mask over the top of his lips, and kissing him. After a few moments she released him, purple hand raised his way again.

"Who. Are. You?" The girl growled out.

"Ace of Spades." He said casually.

The hand began whirring louder and he threw his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa- oh, hey, do you know the green eyed chick?"

The attack stalled. "What?" She asked.

"The green eyed chick. Orange? Bright green eyes? I don't mean to sound racist, but..."

She stared at him. "How do you know Koriand'r?"

"Kori-who what?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Who exactly are you?"

The anti-hero rose to his feet, wiping the dirt off of his pants. "Ace of Spades. Enchanted. And who are you?"

"Komand'r, the... heiress of Tamaran."

"Tama-what?"

"My home planet."

Ace blinked. "You're... an alien?"

"As are you. Such a small view of things."

"Mmhm. So why haven't you killed me yet?"

"I want to know what you know about Koriand'r."

"Nothing. Other than that she is a Teen Titan."

"And this is where she lives?"

Ace looked over his shoulder at the enormous T shaped building looming behind him. "Yeah."

Komand'r looked up at the tall building. "Unique... building structure."

The black-clad hero laughed. "Right? Like a beacon saying 'oh god, please smite me.'"

"God? You call your god 'God'?"

"Not the person to ask, honestly. Just a force of habit."

"Blackfire." She said.

Ace looked up at her, keeping a smile off his face. "You call your god _Blackfire_?"

"No you fool, that is my name. Your Earth language translates Komand'r to Blackfire."

"Ah," He stared back at the brightly colored sky for a few moments. "I don't know how to get in, honestly."

"It cannot be difficult."

Ace shook his head. "They've got this guy, Cyborg, who's a genius with technology. I've already scoped the place out. They've fortified it pretty heavily."

"Have you attempted to smash through the window?"

* * *

Robin handed the enormous teddy bear to Starfire. The alien squealed. "It is quite large and soft!"

"Fluffy is the word you are looking for, Star."

She grinned widely. "Yes, it is quite fluffy!"

"Hey, Rob," Cyborg said, walking over. "There's an alert right now."

Robin sighed. "I-"

"Dude, just let the police get it." Beast Boy said, popping a popcorn into his mouth.

"But-"

"Rob," Cyborg pressed. "It's not even a red alert. It's fine."

Robin looked at Starfire for a moment before sighing. "Fine. The police know?"

"Already alerted."

* * *

Ace tiptoed into the living room, blinking as he maneuvered around the shattered glass. "I didn't think you were serious."

Blackfire smirked. "Oh? Not the criminal type?"

"Never broken into a skyscraper, I will not lie."

The Tamaranian looked around. "Absolutely garish."

"The orange walls aren't bad. Not too vivid. Also, why haven't you killed me yet?"

"You know more than you let on."

"You know what? Fine. Starfire's a dweeb, Cyborg and Beast Boy are nerds, Robin's boring, and Raven's emo. That what you needed?"

"Explain."

Ace groaned. "I've never met them. But... what I can do is... what's your plan, actually?"

"I am being chased by Intergalactic Police and I'm going to shift the heat onto her."

"Oh. That's easy. What did you steal?"

She blinked.

"Come on, I know your type. You stole something important, right? Give it to her as a gift."

"How-"

"Trust me. It's kind of what I do. I don't know what the... team dynamic is, but they haven't been here much longer than I have. So... I don't know. It's worth a shot."

Komand'r took a slight step backwards. "Why are you helping me, Asovspade?"

Ace mulled it over for a moment. "I... don't know. I guess I really don't care about her. It's all the same to me."

"But why are you helping me?"

"Other than the fact you would kill me otherwise?"

"Yes."

"Well... I don't know. Like a slight niggling feeling in the back of your head. Maybe it's your eyes."

She blinked. "My eyes?"

"The purple feels familiar. I... I don't know why though... ahem! We should clean up this glass. You need to look like a... non-threat, I suppose."

* * *

Ace slammed his fists into the rock surface, gripping his dark hair tight in his hands. "Remember, remember, remember, _remember_!"

He had been so close. Neurons had connected, new, yet familiar emotions bubbled to the surface of his psyche, staring into the dark haired alien's eyes. He slumped against the make shift counter. "...Remember..."

* * *

Robin frowned, peering over the security footage. "There."

Cyborg looked at the panel on his wrist. "That was the alert then. That's... my fault. I should've known the difference."

"You're fine."

Cy shook his head. "No. Starfire was almost arrested. I should've caught it earli..." He trailed off.

Robin stared alongside him at the monitor. "No way."

 _Blackfire flew through the window and dropped a black mass to the floor. It hesitantly rose to its feet and looked around._

"That's our Ace of Spades." Robin noted, scrawling down a note on piece of paper.

"I thought he was a good guy?"

Robin stared at the screen as the Ace of Spades stepped around the glass, talking to Komand'r. "So did I."

* * *

Blackfire had been arrested, dragged back into the depths of space.

Ace shook his head. The Titans were onto him. "Stupid..." He muttered to himself. Of course Cyborg would have security cameras. He'd gushed to Komand'r for five minutes about the hero's technology savvy.

He sat on top of a building, swinging his black bat beside him lazily. It had been peaceful; but the night was still young.

"Don't move."

Ace complied. He risked peeking over his shoulder. The first thing he noticed was the deep purple cloak, and that was enough for him to slide off of the edge of the building, falling to the sidewalk below.

He fell into a roll, sliding underneath a car parked against the sidewalk. He lay there for mere seconds before it was enveloped in a pitch black glow, lifting above him. Ace stared in horror as Raven floated a few feet away, the car suspended above him.

"I said don't move." She said boredly.

Ace held his hands up placatingly. He flicked his wrist and a smoke bomb slid into his hand. He smashed it against the ground, and the street was quickly thick with smoke.

He slowly backed up, trying to figure out a quick exit strategy.

The Titan dashed those hopes, floating into the midst of the smoke. The force of the blast had knocked her hood down, revealing her blue-purple hair, grey skin and vivid purple eyes.

He stared in awe.

 _'Pinky promise.'_

Ace froze, unable to move.

Raven scowled. "I said _not to move_."

"I'm fucked." He whispered, unable to break himself from his trance.

 _'I thought you wanted to get out'_ The voice whispered softly in his head.

Raven pulled a pale arm from under her cloak and held a yellow, circular device to her head. "Robin, Raven. I found AOS."

 _"Understood,"_ The communicator said. _"We're on our way now."_

Ace heard the words, but couldn't process them. His mouth gaped open and he stared at her, even as the smoke rolled between them. "Lilith." He whispered.

 _Dirtywallsglasswallstalkingmouseshriekingvoicesredeyesredeyesredeyes._

Images shot through his mind, faster than he could pick them out singularly. _Redeyesredeyesredeyesgreeneyesgreeneyesgreenhairredgrin._

 _"Walk with me..."_ He sang quietly, unable to drag his eyes from Raven. _"Walk with me... don't let this symbolism break your heart..."_

There was a skidding of tires and a motorcycle engine appearing and shutting off; he couldn't hear it.

 _"Walk with me... walk with me, just like we should've done right from the start."_

The smoke cleared and Robin stepped forwards, staff drawn.

 _Redtightsredarmorblackmaskblackcapeblackarmorstonygaze._

 _Greeneyeblueeyegreenhairpurplehairgungungungun._

Ace scowled. The images were too much, too quickly. He screamed out and turned around sprinting towards the shop behind him.

 _'Jump,'_ a voice said.

He complied, leaping. Something swung forwards beneath him, clattering harmlessly to the floor. He dove forwards, smashing through a window. A high pitched alarm went throughout the shop.

Ace swung his arms out, wildly dragging things to the sides, blocking the path.

"Raven, cut him off from the other side!" Robin yelled out. There was a clattering of glass as Robin climbed through the window, following the black clad... hero? anti-hero? Ace wasn't sure at that point, further into the shop.

Ace took a sharp left, sprinting back towards the entrance. Robin swore and turned on his heel, continuing his pursuit. Ace leapt over the window sill; and saw his escape.

He jumped onto Robin's red bike and turned the key in the ignition. The sleek motorcycle whirred to life and Ace crank hard on the throttle, sending him jettisoning forwards into the night.

* * *

Robin sighed and stopped running as the Ace of Spades disappeared into the night. "Dammit."

Raven floated next to him, hood pulled back over her head. "ID him?"

"No. Couldn't see past the mask. Raven... why was he staring at you?"

"I don't know. Said 'Lilith'. Started singing. That was all," She turned to Robin as recognition flashed over the leader's features. "What?"

"Nothing. I need to look into something. Head back to the Tower."

She said nothing, casually flying back towards their home.

Robin sighed as he realized that he had no ride. He started walking.

* * *

Ace groaned as he was thrown to the side.

The enormous man grinned as he lurched over the hero. "Not so tough are ya?"

Ace flipped the man off.

He growled and grabbed the black clad teen by his foot, hurling him to the side.

"Mammoth, hurry up and kill him." A pink haired girl said, looking at her nails.

Mammoth sighed. He was dressed in a black leotard, heavy metal boots with golden treads, and golden circles wrapped around the edge of the suit before his shoulders matched black gloves lined with gold. His hair was long and ginger, a small goatee at the edge of his enormous jaw. his eyes were pupil-less.

"Aw, but I was having fun, Jynx."

"Mammoth." She repeated. Her pink hair came up into two thick individual points, sticking out towards her sides. Her eyes matched the color of her hair. She had a black top with purple rings on it over tight purple and black striped pants, ill fitting black shoes on her feet.

Ace grunted as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his bat from his side. "What is it with the weird eyed girls in this town?" He muttered to himself.

Mammoth stomped over to him, a grin cracking his huge head.

Ace rolled his eyes and brought his knee up, slamming it into the huge man's crotch.

Mammoth froze, eyes wide. He fell to a knee, bowing his head. He whimpered quietly.

The black clad hero let out a sigh and arched his back, popping his spine. His jacket had long been torn off, laying off to the side in a ripped heap. his black hair shot out in ruffled spikes around his head, and his mask clung to his head desperately. "Fuck it."

His eyes widened and he leaned forwards in pure instinct. Something sharp dragged across the back of his head and his back.

A lock of hair, his black tank top, and his mask fell to the ground, leaving him with just his pants, boots, and gloves.

Jynx stared at him. "Gizmo."

"Yeah?" A voice said from behind Ace.

"Who is this guy?"

"I don't know, why?"

Ace turned on his heel, smashing his bag into the metal thing that had attacked him.

The robotic leg crumpled beneath the blow and Gizmo yelped as he fell. He was short, incredibly so, with a pair of green goggles on his head, combined with his green onesie and his backpack; he looked like an elementary schooler. The four metallic spider legs jutting from his backpack and hoisting him high above the ground detracted from the kiddie look, however.

Ace shrugged and swung the black bat at the kid's head. It glowed a bright pink and slipped out of his hands. He blinked and turned around.

Jynx's eyes were glowing bright pink and her hands were raised, covered in the same aura as his bat was. She grinned maniacally. "A little bit of bad luck, sweetie?"

"Oh, fuck." Ace said.

One of Gizmo's spider legs flicked forwards, slamming into Ace, sending him flipping away.

"No. Bad luck for you." Ace dragged himself off the ground and hazarded a peek over his shoulder. The Titans stood, united, and stared down the group of villainous teens.

Ace rolled his eyes and scrambled forwards.

"Wait!" Robin yelled.

Ace flipped him off, disappearing around the corner into a alleyway, sprinting away from the battle.

* * *

Thunder woke the anti-hero form his sleep. He blinked and walked towards the entrance of the cave. He pushed the sturdy door open and peered out towards the city. The enormous Golden Gate Bridge-copycat had an equally enormous dark cloud swirling above it. Something yellow zipped around the bridge, and Ace could pick out the glowing blue blast of Cyborg's weapon. He stepped back into the cave and reached for his mask; and grasped nothing but air.

 _Oh._

He stared back out at the city.

No mask; the rest of his costume shredded, his second bat lost in the heart of Jump City.

He shook his head with a resigned sigh.

"Good luck, you guys."

He closed the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Sup diggy dogs, it's ya boy, Infernokota, better known on the internet as Infernokota. Not much to say on this chapter. This is kinda starting to fall back into routine; follow Teen Titan episode guidelines, make the original story much better. A lot more straight revising here than in the previous chapters.**

 **Oh! Right. That.**

 **Welcome to Part II, bitcheeees! Part 1 was the prologue part; it's about to get real. Real character development, real, lasting relationships; the consequences of everything that happened in the first part. It's all going to begin piecing together. Hold onto your butts.**

 **-The Voodoo Child, Infernokota**


	9. Down the Rabbit Hole

**"Insanity: doing the same thing, over and over, expecting things to change."**

 **-Albert Einstein (or Vaas Montenegro)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf.**

 _I'm not insane. I'm not. But that... that was insanity. That was mind-breaking. That was_ enlightening _._

* * *

Ace blinked himself awake, his ears ringing. He winced against the bright lights, a pounding headache assaulting him. Something warm trickled down the right side of his face.

He blinked repeatedly, adjusting himself to the light.

"Ah, the first chickie's awake. Excellent, now ta wait for the others and the lesson can begin!" The voice said, echoing all around him in a British accent.

* * *

Ace peered around the room boredly. To his right were the Teen Titans; Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg, all asleep. The room was grand, white marble covering the whole of it. Each of the teens was strapped to wooden chairs, the majority of which were ironclad; Raven was trapped in a thin floating circle of white light.

"Oh, my head..." Robin muttered, slowly raising the aforementioned appendage.

Ace peered around the three Titans, looking to the vigilante. He sighed and slumped back against the chair. A slight chorus of groans erupted from the team as they slowly regained consciousness.

"Am I the only one who doesn't know where we are?" Beast Boy muttered.

"Oh shut up." Ace snapped, headache assaulting him.

The Titans turned in near synchronized shock at him. He was minus a shirt and his mask; bared to the world.

"Why, you're right where you belong, my duckies," The British man exclaimed from the top of the stairs. "You're in school!" The man jumped and slid down the railing, revealing a middle aged red headed British man with a jacket designed as the Union Jack, and white jeans.

"Oh my God, he's so chic." Ace giggled, ignoring the pounding in his head.

"That's right, loves, you're the only students at Mad Mod's institute for bratty teenaged do-gooders," Mod continued on. "It's high time that someone taught you sprogs a lesson." He said as he lifted his ruby tipped cane that was now sparking.

"Uh-oh" Beast Boy said, putting in his two cents.

* * *

Ace blinked and looked around, craning his neck to look behind him. "Did... did anyone else hear the Japanese?"

"Titans?" Robin asked, prompting his team to attempt to escape. The teens squirmed and concentrated, but couldn't break their bonds.

"My starbolts are useless!" Starfire gasped.

"Specially designed chairs, love. Can't have those nasty superpowers interfering with my lecture now, can I?" Mad Mod said with a smug smirk, leaning into the orange teen's face.

"Get away from her!" Robin shouted.

"Now, don't get your knickers in a twist, my little snot," He said, leaning back. "I didn't go to all the trouble of building this school and filling your tower with knockout gas just so I could finish you off lickety-split. And you, Acey, were very hard to find."

"Then what do you want?" Raven asked.

"Just what I said, dearie- to teach you lot a lesson! Yes, I've been watching you children misbehave. And I hate misbehaving children! Fighting crime! Saving lives! Interfering with the plans of hardworking villains! Why, you lot are nothing but a bunch of troublemakers! But you'll learn your place soon enough." He said.

The Titans' resumed their struggling in various states of over exaggerated anger, becoming almost caricature-like.

Ace moved as far left as he could away from the team, eyes wide in shock. _"What the fuck?"_

"You see, I'm older than you, so I'm bigger, badder, and better." Mod said, pointing his cane at the teens.

"Say wha-" Cyborg was cut off as Mad Mod hit him over the head with his cane. "Jeez, ow!

"You're in my world now. And you won't be getting out until you've learned some proper respect." The Brit marched back and forth in front of them.

"We will get out. And when we do-" Robin was cut off by the sound of a bell ringing.

"Oh, dear. There's the bell, my duckies. Off to class!"

Ace blinked at the sound of something opening before gravity took over and he and his chair fell downwards in to darkness. "Fuuuu-"

* * *

-uuuck!" he shouted as his chair fell down the impossibly high fall.

He opened his eyes as he realized he wasn't dead. Looking around, he noticed the enormous art supplies laying about.

In the front of the classroom there was a bust of the British psychopath. It's eyes opened and it grinned cockily. "Now, now dearie, stop struggling and enjoy today's lesson: Art!"

Ace looked next to the bust. A Mona Lisa replica with Mad Mod's face flipped, replacing the painting with a swirling pattern of black and white. His eyes unfocused and he stared at it, unable to drag his gaze from it. His mind went blank and he slumped in his chair.

 _'Hehehe...'_

Ace blinked repeatedly and his eyes gained a sharp edge to him. He licked his lips and looked around, ignoring the painting entirely. His gaping mouth slowly closed and he scowled. "Second rate piece of shit."

He moved onto his tippy-toes, balancing the chair on his back; and pushed upwards with all of his might, landing on his back and smashing the chair into the ground. It shattered beneath the impact, the steel bars harmlessly slipping down his body. He pushed himself to his feet, wiping dirt off of his shoulder, cracking his neck to the side.

Ace calmly walked over and gripped the painting ripping it off of the wall.

"HEY! What in the- you… you just… how did you ignore the trap?"

Ace spat on the ground. "I'm going to kill you, Mod."

Letting out a low growl before composing himself, Mad Mod continued on undaunted, "Well now, we can't have you breaking school prop- Hey, where are you going?!" He yelled as Ace left the room.

"Leaving." Was all the teen anti-hero said as he stepped into the utterly disorienting halls. They were strictly black and white checkers, making it difficult to differentiate walls from... anything else.

"Oh Jesus, this place is giving me a migraine." Ace moaned.

Walking forward, he started going upwards, as if walking on stairs. Lifting an eyebrow, he took a step backward... and fell upwards, slamming against the ceiling- or the floor, he realized, pushing himself to his feet.

"I'm going to go insane- _where are the physics_?" He growled to himself.

Continuing on, he hadn't realized that he was walking in vertical circles. When he did realize it, he looked up, or down, and immediately fell to the ground.

"AH WHAT THE FUCK! I HATE THIS PLACE!"

He continued walking forwards, hands clenched into tight fists and his face pulled into a snarl.

He let out a grunt as something hard collided with his side.

Mad Mod hopped to his feet and grinned, jogging backwards. "C'mon, lad, catch up!" The Englishman shouted out.

Growling Ace picked himself up and charged in the direction that the Brit had went, before slamming into a wall. Ace watched past the invisible barrier as Mod turned right. The teen smashed his hand against the wall and ran to his right- smashing into another wall.

 _"I FUCKING swear, I will rip this godforsaken hellhole to pieces and shove them down his throat, so help me God."_ He snarled.

"Now, sir, you're going to have to be faster than that!"

Ace turned around. Mad Mod was standing in front of a large wooden door, twirling his cane with a smug grin. He bowed and walked through the door. The teen barreled after him, kicking the door open.

He was back in the main hall. To his right was a grand staircase. The Brit chuckled from his position at the top. "Haven't you learned anything?" He walked backwards, exiting through a door at the top.

Ace growled and ran towards the second level, climbing three steps at a time. His foot hit a step and he slipped, falling face first onto the now slide-like passage, scorpion-ing himself onto it. He slid back down and groaned in pain.

Jumping onto the railing, he shakily balanced himself and walked up, eventually landing on the second level and he ran to the door that Mad Mod had went through, only to be stopped by more white and black hallways.

The shirtless teen's face fell in horror. He closed his eyes, ignoring the urgent pounding in his head.

Despite the disorienting halls, he went uninterrupted as he made his way slowly forwards. He stopped in front of a door.

Opening it, he saw Raven facing a green screen with the hypnotic design. Enormous weight-lifting equipment lay around the place.

Ace stared at the Titan for a few moments. His face was blank of emotion. He took a step backwards to the door, slowly pushing it back open. He sighed and walked back into the room. He grabbed the chair by the headrest and slammed it with all his force into the ground. It shattered, the white circle disappearing. Raven blinked repeatedly, bringing herself back to consciousness.

She looked up at him and jumped. He licked the corners of his mouth where his scars began and stepped backwards, adjusting his black gloves.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet. "Did you..."

"Free you? Yes."

"Thanks."

"Mmhm." Ace said casually, turning back towards the door. Raven walked a short distance behind him.

They walked in silence before coming to the end of the hallway. There was a door to the left and the door in front of them. The door to the left was slammed open as Cyborg stumbled out.

"Aaaah-oh, hey. Raven. And..." He blinked in slight surprise. "Are you-"

"Ace, yes." The black-clad hero said boredly. Raven pushed the double doors in front of them open, stepping out into the main hall. Cyborg walked after her, giving Ace a slight look.

The lone teen turned over his shoulder for a moment, flexing and unflexing his hands. He sighed and followed the trio.

"AH!" Someone yelled out. Ace raised an eyebrow.

Raven and Cyborg had reached the other side of the enormous staircase, and someone had screamed out. Robin and Starfire were standing in relief next to the other two. Ace slowly walked into the room, fists clenched.

"Oh, Cyborg, Raven how glad we are to see you." Starfire said.

"This place is making me crazy!" Robin said.

"Tell me about it! Mad Mod's whacked out computer lab nearly crashed my hard drive!" Cyborg agreed.

"Where did our captor send you?" Starfire questioned Raven.

"Gym." Raven monotoned.

"Anybody seen BB?" Cyborg realized, looking around..

Beast Boy appeared from around the staircase, laying on the ground, crawling like a caterpillar, covered in drool.

"Mad Mod's hypnotism, we can't snap him out of it." Robin answered at the questioning looks. "We've tried everything."

"Did ya try this?" Cyborg picked up BB's pointed ear, burping loudly into it.

"Hahahaha, nice one!" Beast Boy said, awake. "Uh, how did I get here, and why am I covered in drool?"

"Wonderful! Now we need only locate an exit." Starfire beamed.

Robin nodded. "Right, we..." He trailed off. The Titans followed his gaze.

Ace leaned against a wall across large room., head bowed and his black hair falling around his head. His scars were barely visible through the thick curtain of hair.

Robin stared, eyes wide in shock. Ace looked up, his hair rising in alert at the feeling of someone staring at him.

The two shared a look, both in slight shock.

"C'mon, won't you lot ever learn." Mad Mod cut in. A panel on the wall jutted out, right in front of Beast Boy. It began swirling in black and white. The green teen's eyes went blank again and drooled pooled out of his mouth as he slumped down.

"After him!" Robin ordered, ignoring Ace for the moment.

The Titans, with the exclusion of Starfire and Beast Boy, and Ace chased after the crazed Brit, now riding a moped down the hallway. Ace scowled and picked up his speed.

Robin blinked and skid to a stop as they reached the end of the hall, a painting hanging on the wall.

A banana hit him in the back of the head.

As they turned around, Mod gave them a taunting look before high-tailing it back down the other side of the hall. After a moment to recover from their shock, they turned and continued their chase, sprinting after Mad Mod. Ace and Robin ran in front of the group, Raven flying above them. Beast Boy joined them, shaped like a green cheetah as Starfire flew alongside the telepath.

Ace looked to the left while they ran, a statue seemingly superimposed on the wall while simultaneously existing as a 3D object. He blinked. "What the fuck kind of plane of existence is that statue in?"

Running forward, Ace looked to his right to see a fountain, "Is that fountain a _painting?_ What the fuck is this-" He cut cut himself off in shock. "Is that... a rocket? Run."

The Titans followed Ace's suggestion, turning around and sprinting back down the hallway. Ace slammed a door open and the team followed after them. The room was completely white, giant black spots covering the area.

Mad Mod grinned and tipped an invisible hat to the teens, jumping into a black dot, disappearing.

Attempting to follow him, Robin leapt head first into the hole- and face planted onto the ground.

Ace stumbled backwards, mind whirring as he attempted to decipher the entire situation. The Titans ran from hole to hole, searching for the correct one. Eventually, Robin nodded at one, and the team jumped in.

Then popped back up, dressed in baggy, mismatching, colorful outfits right out of a Beatles' music video.

They shook the outfits up and Mad Mod appeared next to a door. "Come on, kittens, pick up the pace now!" He exited the door and the Titans, and Ace, followed after him.

Into a hallway with a skinny, long staircase dominating the majority of it. Mod was already sprinting up. The team gathered together and chased after him. The top of the staircase seemed to stretch on forever, never getting any closer.

Mod reached the top and tapped his cane against the floor. The stairs fell into the shape of a slide beneath the Titans. Raven and Starfire flew while Ace jumped and grabbed onto the former's cloak. Beast Boy turned into an octopus and saved the other two, snatching onto Robin and Cyborg, Starfire grabbing another tentacle.

They flew quickly to the top of the staircase, following the Brit through a door. After a moment of walking endlessly, they spotted Mad Mod casually jogging along and followed him into a room with a row of doors on each side.

Walking through one, Ace came out of the way they had entered.. Stumbling to the back of the room and leaning against the door, he watched in confusion as the other six defied physics, walking through one door in the hallway, and emerging from another. Mod lead them on a chase, expertly guiding them along, door by door, in an overtly cartoon like way.

After a moment, Robin went to the back with Ace, staring at the doors. Mod disappeared into the doors, and Robin walked up to it, the Titans following suit with four of the other doors. They opened them simultaneously, revealing nothing but darkness.

With four doors revealing nothing, they tip-toed as a unit to the final door, smiles on their faces.

Pulling it open, a T-Rex's head popped out and roared, causing them all to jump back in fright. Mod appeared at the opposite side of the hall, using the bust of his own head in the back to open a door. They quickly followed suit.

And walked into a hallway with the outside exit at the other end.

"No way, is tha-" BB began.

"Shut up." Ace cut in, snarling as he stomped forwards. He ripped the convincing tarp off of the end of the hallway; revealing the enormous room they had woke up in.

"Right back where we started!" Robin yelled, frustrated.

"Of course you are, my duckies," Mad Mod said, tauntingly. "Class is over, and you lot haven't learned a thing. That's a failing grade for each bloomin' one of you! There's only one thing for it: You'll have to repeat the enti-"

"Shut up, you British fuck!" Ace yelled out. "I've figured you out. Illusions; this is all fake; someone find the goddamn exit along the walls."

The shirtless teen stomped forwards, stepping through the hologram of the Brit. Walking up to one wall, he extended his hand forwards; and gripped something pliable in his hand.

"No, stop!" Mod yelled out, raising his cane.

Ace snarled. "Bite me." He ripped his hand backwards, tearing a huge portion of the enormous green screen off, revealing a wall of dull pipes and wires. Ace squeezed into a narrow opening, disappearing into the heart of the machine.

"No, no, no!" Mod's voice repeated from further down the small corridor.

Ace turned a corner; right into Mad Mod.

The Brit was old, at least sixty, and pale, with liver spots and a balding head. He was hunched over, his cane holding him up.

Ace slammed his fist into the Brit's nose. Again. And again. He let the villain drop to the ground and spat at him. "Second rate piece of shit."

Walking back to the now significantly smaller room, the teen sent a look around; the entire room was filled with electronics, green screens dropped to the floors beneath the walls. Ace threw Mod at the feet of the Titans.

He wordlessly made his way to a ladder in one corner, climbing out towards freedom.

* * *

Ace sat, perched on the edge of the building hidden deep in the coast of Jump City. He listened to the ocean, soothing his building rage.

"Ace?" Robin asked as the Titans joined the dark haired teen.

Ace turned slightly over his shoulder at his name, dark hair concealing the majority of his face.

"Hm, yeah." He said sitting up. "I don't care what you do with him, just get him out of my sight."

Robin nodded slightly, unable to tear his eyes from the young vigilante. "Ace... we need to talk."

The lone teen turned back to the city silently.

"Hey, Rob!" Beast Boy said. "He's waking up."

"Okay." Robin said, turning from his team back towards Ace.

Ace was scowling. "No. We don't."

He slipped off the edge. Robin rushed forwards in shock, staring at the water beneath him.

Ace disappeared.

Robin sighed and stepped backwards, wiping a gloved hand across his face.

"Are you alright, Robin?" Starfire asked, floating towards him.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. I... _I'm_ alright."

* * *

 **A/N: Yay... mystery. Mystery. Mystery. Not as light-hearted as it was once upon a time; but oh well.**

 ** **Review! It gives me happiness and more motivation to write!****

 **LOL, R &R**

 **-Infernokota**


	10. Chaos and Earth

" **Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company."**

 **-Mark Twain**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf.**

 _Oh-ho ho, knowledge is tantalizing, isn't it? You and everyone else chases it, and yet when you grab it... you don't share it with any of them..._

* * *

Ace looked around the shop, peering over the tops of the shelves at the other customers. The black, hooded tactical jacket, covered in pouches and pockets, was slung over his arm. Straps bisected the chest from the arms, more than likely for a knife- or ammo. The thick, army-style black pants were heavy on his arm. The boots, gloves, and Kevlar vest was already at his hideout. He pulled his hat further down onto his face, spreading his shoulder-length, black hair further around his neck.

He scowled as he watched the man standing at the cash register. A customer walked up to the middle aged man, and the cashier turned to something suspended on the wall.

Ace turned on his heel, sprinting towards the door. Someone yelled in alarm.

The cashier turned to the thief. "Hey!"

The anti-hero barreled through the shop door, ignoring the loud alarm echoing in the street. He turned on his heel, running towards the nearest alley, his loot clutched tight to his chest.

* * *

Beast Boy ran forwards on all fours, green paws scratching at the ground as his nose followed the fading scent of the thief. The cashier wasn't able to give them much information, other than a hat and black hair.

The shapeshifter turned on his heels- or, paws rather- down an alley. The scent went up a pipe affixed to one of the walls. He transformed back into his human form and picked up his communicator. "Hey, the scent goes to the roofs. Uh... 2109 Rayben. The pawn shop."

" _Confirmed_ ," Robin called through. " _Have you seen him_?"

"No sir. Just the ghost trail."

" _Alright. Star, Raven, try to fly over and intercept the thief. I'm on my way_."

"Hey, Rob, I'm gonna-" Beast Boy was cut off as a black shape slammed into him, throwing him into the wall. He grunted as the communicator fell from his hand.

" _Beast_ -" The communicator began before a black sneaker slammed down on it.

Ace slammed his knee into the green skinned teen's face, the pads of the combat pants adding to the impact. The anti-hero immediately turned from the alley, running back towards the street.

He turned the corner- only for a boulder to come flying towards him, throwing him backwards. He let out a yell of pain, but rolled with the impact, staggering onto his feet.

The girl standing across from him was definitely his age. She was slighter, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A pair of goggles sat on her head. A black long sleeved shirt ending above her belly button was emblazoned with a vivid yellow 'T'. Yellow short shorts finished the color scheme. Brown boots matched brown gloves.

She frowned. "Not cool, dude."

Ace peered around. Where had the rock come from? Did she seriously rely on throwing stuff at people? But where exactly _had_ the rock come from.

The girl looked into the alley. "Hey, BB, you okay?"

A groan greeted her.

The anti-hero scowled and slowly began backing up.

"Hey, guy, don't. Really, just don't."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what?" He reached towards his pocket for a smoke grenade- and gripped nothing.

Oh.

The girl grinned, her eyes glowing a vivid yellow as she raised her hands. "I'll throw rocks at you."

Ace almost laughed before several large chunks of asphalt ripped out of the street and she sent them flying towards him. He rolled, dodging the closer ones.

Throws rocks. Right.

"Who exactly... are you?" He asked, frowning.

She pointed to herself with a thumb and a grin. "Name's Terra."

Ace rolled his eyes with a groan. He nodded. "Super cool." He dove to his right, smashing through a window, rolling with the fall. He sprung forwards, sprinting towards the back exit of the shop as Terra climbed into the store after him.

"Hey, no wait, come back!" The girl yelled after him.

"Shove it!" He called back, leaping through the manager's office window. Immediately, he leapt, grabbing onto an old pipe and shimmying up it. His mind briefly registered the fact that Raven and Starfire were on their way, but he didn't honestly care. He couldn't be captured; not now, not now.

His new boots hit the hard roof, the shoe uncomfortable. He pushed the minor pain out of his mind, sprinting forwards.

God, he really needed an escape vehicle-

Ace's thoughts derailed as something slammed into his side, sending him flying towards the ledge.

Starfire frowned at him, eyes and hands glowing green. "Please stop resisting!"

Ace wiped a hand against his mouth, trying in vain to wipe blood from his lip. "Fuck off."

"Please, I do not wish to fight!"

The anti-hero scowled, rising to his feet and backing towards the edge. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a grenade.

Starfire narrowed her eyes, preparing to dash towards him.

Ace dropped the grenade and turned away, leaping into the air.

The alien dashed towards him-

And the grenade exploded.

The blast sent the duo flying in opposite directions. Ace grunted from the force, slamming into the side of one of the buildings. He groaned in pain and fell from the building, falling towards the ground. His ears rang in protest, nearly drowning out all sound around him. His head pounded and his vision swam.

The pain wracked his body as he pushed himself to his feet.

 _'Keep going,'_ Something in his head said. _'Don't stop._ Never _get captured'._

Ace pushed the pain from his mind, limping forwards. Get to the sewers, that's all he needed. He could escape through the sewers. He turned from the small alley he was in onto the main road. He leaned against the wall, using it as support as he dragged himself forwards.

"Ace." Robin said from behind him, slowly edging towards him.

Ace didn't stop moving forwards, instincts driving him entirely.

"Ace, stop." The hero said, walking towards the anti-hero.

Ace didn't turn, continuing to walk away. He stumbled forwards and fell to the ground, hands and knees holding him up. He shakily stood back up, continuing his slow march forwards.

"Ace. Please. _Stop."_ Robin repeated, concern in his voice.

The anti-hero's vision blurred and he fell forwards, the sound of sirens the last thing he heard.

* * *

Ace groaned in pain as he straightened up. The metal chair was cold behind him. In front of him was a wooden table and the room was warmly lit. A long panel of glass sat on the wall to his right. Ace pulled his hands up, scowling at the handcuffs wrapped around his wrists.

There was a beat of silence before the door opened. A cop stepped through, a clipboard at his side.

"Ace of Spades?" He asked.

Ace nodded quietly.

"Do you go by anything else?"

"Ace."

The cop sat down across from him. "Listen, kid, we ID'd you. You don't appear anywhere in the system. Who exactly are you?"

Ace rubbed a hand through his hair, horribly conscious of the fact that he was missing his brand new mask already. "No one." He answered shortly.

The cop sighed. "We've got several accounts of assault, vigilantism, resisting arrest, and now robbery. Ace, that's a long time in juvie, and maybe even jail. How old are you?"

 _16._ "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know."

The cop ran a hand over his face. "I'm trying to help you, son. You don't seem like a bad kid, and I don't want you behind bars of any kind. You've gotta work with me though."

Ace leaned back in his chair. "I'm not talking without a lawyer."

"Do you have a lawyer?"

"No."

The cop sighed. "The Titans wanted to talk to you before anything else. I'll try to get you a representative, but they don't exactly work on our rules. I'll be right back."

As soon as the door closed, Ace's eyes roved around the room. Two cameras, secured door leading to a police station, one-way mirror on the wall, hands cuffed together, no grenades or anything else.

He was screwed, it was that simple. Any moment now, the Titans would barge in. Robin would slam his hands down on the table, the others would stand back. They'd chip in every now and then, but Robin... Robin would probe him.

The thought was unnerving.

Ace closed his eyes. _No. Not now. It couldn't end now. Not now._

He gingerly nudged on the table; screwed to the ground. A scowl crossed his scarred face and he bolted to his feet. Turning, he grabbed his chair and sprinted to the door. He propped it up beneath the door handle and almost instantaneously, pounding began on the door.

"Ace, open the damn door!" A cop yelled.

Ace squared himself, staring at the door in concentration. His hands gripped together and his knees bent, ready to pounce. The anti-hero's jaw trembled- in anxiousness or anger, he wasn't sure.

* * *

Robin stared through the window. Ace was sitting calmly in his chair- not calmly, actually. His eyes roamed, and his muscles coiled. He was planning something. The Titans' leader shook his head. "He hasn't said anything?"

The cop shrugged. "Blake went in to try to talk to him, but he wouldn't say anything. Who is this guy, anyway?"

Robin didn't draw his eyes from the teen's Glasgow scars. "...I don't know."

Starfire stepped up to him. "Robin?"

"Hm?"

"How do you know the Ace of Spades?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have always recognized him, every time we have met him. He is someone from Gotham?"

Robin didn't answer for a long moment. "...Star, I'm not sure. I'm honestly not sure. If... if I'm right, then-"

In that instant, almost on queue, Ace bolted to his feet, sprinting towards the door with his chair in hand. He propped it up against the door handle and the cop began pounding at the door.

"Starfire, get the door open!" Robin yelled out, slight panic setting into his mind. _Ace couldn't get away now. He was so close. Not now._

* * *

Ace's mind ran. What if the Titans were there? They could open the door, easy-peasy. He turned and backed up to the one-way mirrors. He sprinted across the room, using his momentum to propel himself up the wall- his hands latched onto a vent in the top right corner.

His hands worked furiously, swiftly gripping the bolts in his fingers, twisting them until they fell, clinking onto the tile floor. The bars blocking the vent fell to the ground along with the frame, and the anti-hero squeezed himself into the vent, dragging himself into the darkness.

* * *

"Where do those vents go?!" Robin shouted at the cop.

The officer backed up. "All throughout the station."

"Where's the next vent opening?!"

"Uh- uh, the next interrogation room, I guess!"

Robin turned on his heel, sprinting towards the exit. "No, no, _no_."

* * *

Ace grinned. "Yes, yes, yes." He repeated to himself as he kicked at the vent bars. They went flying off as he stepped out into the poorly lit supply closet. The station would be on high alert- he'd be better off just smashing through the building to an exit rather than try to sneak out.

Subtlety wasn't his strong suit anyways.

He charged at the door, smashing it open.

Someone in a dress shirt yelped in shock and jumped backwards as Ace barged into the room, sprinting as fast as he could to the side. The darkness of the night greeted him from a window and he sighed. The glass was probably bullet-proof. Shame. Jumping through windows was almost becoming his thing.

He threw open one of the doors, slamming a cop into the wall as he ran. The cool air greeted him, but he didn't take the opportunity to stop. No, he needed to keep going.

 _'Death before capture. Not again.'_ A voice hissed over his shoulder. He barely registered it, making his way down the street. He didn't know where he was going- he didn't care. He just needed to escape.

A black wall rose in front of him and he inwardly swore. _Raven_.

"Seriously dude. For the last time- stop. Seriously." Beast Boy said.

"Honestly, this is getting ridiculous." Cyborg added.

Ace could make out the sound of a motorcycle revving in the background. "Fuck." He muttered to himself.

Robin pulled up behind him as the other Titans revealed themselves.

Ace groaned and slowly fell to his knees, hesitantly raising his cuffed hands.

"Are you going to come peacefully or not?" Robin asked sternly.

"Probably not. Good chance not, at least."

Cyborg walked to the anti-hero's front, a curious look on his face. "Okay, really gotta ask; who are you?"

Ace shrugged. "The Ace of Spades. The guy doing your work for you."

Beast Boy laughed. "Didn't you, like, steal an entire costume from a store?"

"After the HIVE shredded mine, yeah. I don't have a job, if you didn't realize."

"Okay, let me get this straight," Terra said, riding a floating rock over to the group. "You're an edgy anti-hero who does nice stuff but also bad stuff, and you work on your own?"

"Yes."

The blonde girl shrugged. "I like him. He's got spunk."

"He's also a criminal." Robin pointed out.

"And? How many crimes has he done."

No one answered.

"Right. And how many crimes has he stopped?"

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Are you really backing him up?"

Terra shrugged, turning to Ace. "I mean, what's the big deal? He hasn't really hurt anyone," Beast Boy grumbled in protest. Terra grinned. "Hasn't hurt anyone _badly_ , and... he's doing good stuff, right?"

Robin stepped forwards. "So what are you asking me to do?"

"I dunno. Don't let him go to jail, I guess?" Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Sign him up for the team!"

The Titans went quiet.

"Terra," Cyborg began carefully. "You're not serious, right?"

"We can't just let him onto the team." Robin added.

"You let me onto the team."

Ace looked around. "First, don't talk about me like I'm not here. Second, what is going on?"

"Shut up. I'm defending you." Terra hissed.

The anti-hero bowed his head. "I hate you all." He muttered.

"Guys, please. I know I'm new here, but... trust me at least on this. I know a wayward son when I see one."

Robin and Raven were silent.

Starfire edged towards Ace. "Ace of Spades. What do you say?"

Ace froze. "I... uh... I... I just don't want to go back to jail."

"And you can avoid jail by joining the good guys!" Terra said with a smile.

The black-masked teen fell from his knees to a sitting position. He shook his head. "If... if you guys'll have me, fuck it, I guess."

Robin sighed. "Ace. We'll... I'll let you onto the team. We will be watching you however. Remember that. We'll all head back to the Tower now. Get you set up."

The Titans began heading towards the coast line; Robin jumped onto his bike, Beast Boy transformed into a bird, and Raven and Starfire floated into the sky.

A blue and white car, matching the design of Cyborg's cybernetics pulled into the street, stopping in front of Cy. He turned to Terra and Ace. "I'll give you guys a ride."

Terra nodded and reached for the door handle.

"Hey, Terra..." Ace began. She turned to him, a grin on her face. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "Thanks."

Her grin widened. "No problem. Wanderers like us gotta stick up for each other, right?"

Ace stared at her as she hopped into the car. Cyborg gave him an expectant look. "You coming?"

Ace nodded. "Yeah." He stalled for a moment as his hand brushed the backseat door handle.

Another choice. Another choice that would change his life.

He opened the door.

* * *

 **-Later That Night-**

Ace dropped his bag onto the floor, staring around his new room. A yawn struggled to escape his mouth and he stifled it.

The room was barebone- but large. A simple bed sat in one corner, a desk in the opposite corner. An enormous window dominated the wall his bed was at, facing the ocean.

Ace pulled his mask off, setting it on the desk. He'd work on furniture eventually. He set a laptop onto the desk, fingers lingering over it. Later, he decided.

His mind buzzed as he recollected the events of the night.

He started it by robbing a store, for a new outfit to- be a hero in...

He exploded a grenade, possibly gave himself a concussion. His ears still rang, a physical reminder of what he went through.

He was arrested and held in a police station. Hope seemed to wither and die, and the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Then, not even an hour later, he was a Teen Titan. Sitting in an enormous tower, five- no, six, heroes sleeping soundly around him. The fact that they were all teenagers didn't seem to matter. Not to anyone.

It was too fast. Tomorrow.

He'd figure everything out tomorrow.

He hit the lightswitch, and the room went dark.

"Home sweet home."


	11. Before I Begin

**"Sometimes you feel like it's cursed when something takes so long to come out, and you don't know if it's really going to come out."**

 **-Fred Durst**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf.**

 _...and then bam! The illusion's broken, everybody knows! And you revel in the knowledge that you knew something they should've known... but_ didn't _._

* * *

"Rise and shine, Ace!"

The blinds to the window tore open, sunlight blasting in to illuminate the room.

Ace winced and held a hand in front of his eyes. "What the hell!"

Cyborg grinned. "First day as a real superhero, congrats! Work starts early, and ends late! And to think- you could be sleeping in jail right now."

"What time is it?" The anti-hero murmured.

"8 am."

"On a Saturday?"

"On every day!" Cyborg called out exuberantly, clapping his hands together, imitating two frying pans slamming together.

Imitating them very well.

Ace threw a pillow at his new comrade. "Fine, fine! I'm up, get the hell out of my room!"

" _Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go_!" Cyborg sang as he marched from Ace's room.

The anti-hero groaned and lay back down, staring at the ceiling.

 _"Very superstitious, writing on the wall. Very superstitious, ladders bout' to fall. Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass."_ The song blasted through the Tower's intercom.

Ace sat up. "By God, I'm going to _make_ you Stevie Wonder." He growled out, throwing on his mask.

* * *

Ace dragged himself down the hall, mind jumbling the basic layout of the Tower.

"Kitchen's this way." Someone mumbled.

The anti-hero turned on his heel, watching a purple cloak disappear around the corner. He mumbled to himself and followed Raven's trail, walking into the living room.

"Hey dude." Beast Boy called, flipping a pancake in the kitchen area in the back right area of the spacious room, complete with two stoves, a fridge and freezer, an oven, a dishwasher and a sink.

Ace raised a tired hand in greeting, sitting at the kitchen counter.

Cyborg turned from his stove. "You can sit in the living room if you want."

The anti-hero turned to the left, at the large couch dominating the room. A large table sat in front of it, and an enormous TV in front of it. Monitors sat beneath the TV.

Robin was sitting at the couch, talking to Starfire. Raven was sitting quietly on a chair to the side, a book open on her lap and her hood covering her head.

Ace turned back to the kitchen. "I'm good."

Cyborg shrugged, turning back to his duty. "Hey, dude, we're not going to bite. You've gotta trust us as much as we've gotta trust you. That's how friendship works."

Ace went silent, staring at the countertop.

"Hey Ace." Terra said, sitting next to him.

The black-masked teen shook his head, snapping himself out of his reverie. He turned to the blonde girl. "Hey."

"Why do you wear the mask?" She asked.

"Terra." Robin chided from the couch.

"What? It's an honest question."

"His private business is his."

"He's also a teammate... and a friend?"

Ace turned back to Cyborg and Beast Boy. "Robin's right. Private business."

Terra pouted. "Hey, BB, whatcha cookin'?" She said, perking back up.

"Just my specialty." The shapeshifter replied with a grin.

"Oh! I love that."

Cyborg grumbled, flipping a strip of bacon. "You would. Filthy..." Ace missed the last bit as Cy continued his work in irritation.

Terra reached over the counter and grabbed one of Beast Boy's pancakes. She ate it quickly, letting out a relieved 'mm'. "Delicious, B. Thanks."

Beast Boy grinned at her sheepishly. "Uh, yeah, no problem."

Ace raised an eyebrow, staring at the two.

Terra handed him a plate with a pancake on it. "Here, try one. They're really good."

The anti-hero lifted a slice of the pancake to his mouth before freezing, looking around. The team was staring at him expectantly. Raven and Robin were staring at him with raised brows, while Beast Boy, Terra, and Starfire were smiling proudly. Cyborg was scowling.

Ace took a bite of the pancake.

* * *

Ace scowled in irritation, wiping at his tongue as he hopped into Cyborg's car. The tall teen was laughing.

"What the hell?!" The anti-hero yelled out, coaxing Cy to laugh louder. "It's not funny!"

"It's kinda funny." Cyborg choked out between laughs.

"Tofu! Why didn't anyone tell me it would be tofu?!"

Cy's laughter slowed down. "You learn _really_ quickly- BB's strictly vegetarian."

Beast Boy slid into the passenger seat, frowning. "Hey, _you_ try eating something that you've been. It's horrifying!"

Ace scowled. "What exactly made you think I would like tofu?!"

"Terra gave it to you!"

The anti-hero's scowl faded. "Oh. Right. _Her_."

The green-skinned teen turned to face his new comrade in the backseat, a slight frown on his face. "What do you mean by 'her'?"

Ace frowned back. "...Her? The female? The woman? The person of opposite sex than us?"

"No, you said it, like, really weirdly. Kinda snidely."

Cyborg grinned as they pulled out of the garage. "BB's a little defensive of Terra. Our little shapeshifter's in love."

"I am not!"

The eldest teen's grin widened. "See?"

Ace zoned out as the music from the radio began playing.

 _'Hold the line; love isn't always on time... hold the line; love isn't always on time.'_ Toto's Hold the Line played through the stereo.

The anti-hero groaned. "You have the AUX cord don't you?"

Cy held up his phone, a chord stretching from it to the radio. "Always."

BB sighed. "70's music, dude. All the time."

The cyborg pulled into the city from the bridge. "And you could be in jail right now, to think."

* * *

The Titans sat in the living room, the large screen playing a movie. Raven was engrossed in her book, while Ace tapped away at his laptop. The other five sat attentively, glued to the screen.

Terra folded her legs under her. "Hey, Ace, why don'tcha watch the movie with us?"

The black-masked hero didn't look up from his computer. "I am."

"No, you're not."

"Mmhm."

"You're not. You're on your stupid laptop."

"Mmhm."

" _Aaace_." She whined.

He scowled and looked up at her. " _What_?"

Terra grinned. "Watch the movie with us."

Ace stared at her for a few moments- then snapped his laptop shut, shooting to his feet. Without another word, he turned from the living room and walked back to the hallway towards his room.

The Titans watched him go.

Beast Boy blinked. "Um... okay?"

Robin turned his attention back to the TV. "He's still adjusting to this. Give him time, I guess."

* * *

Ace stepped into his room, minding the door as it slid shut behind him. He'd have to figure out how it knew when to do it- later though.

Maybe it was best that Terra annoyed him out of the living room. He was far too close to her for comfort.

The anti-hero drew the curtains shut in his room, sitting on his bed and opening his laptop, continuing to tap along.

Because he knew one thing; Terra didn't just leave and decide to come back.

He knew that far too well.

* * *

 **-Several Hours Later-**

A siren went through the Tower, a high-pitched whining accompanied by red light flooding in from beneath Ace's door. The small, round, yellow communicator Robin gave him blinked red in unison with the alarm.

Ace rubbed his tired eyes and snapped his laptop shut, walking briskly towards the door.

"Hey, Ace, robbery downtown. Get your stuff, you're ridin' with me, aight?" Cyborg asked through the door, knocking a few times.

Ace mumbled a confirmation and spun around, peering around the room for his new outfit and his bat. Throwing his completely black military-esque outfit on, the newly crowned Titan grabbed his black bat from its spot leaning against the corner and half jogged out into the hallway and to the elevator.

Cyborg nodded as Ace joined him in the elevator. "Rae, Star, Terra, and BB can fly, Robin's got his own bike. 'Til you get your own transportation, we'll probably be riding together, alright?"

Ace nodded back quietly, face masked behind his black mask.

The elevator dinged and opened to the grey concrete of the garage, and the duo ran to Cyborg's car, quickly hopping in.

"The others'll get there before we do," Cyborg said as he peeled out quickly towards the bridge connecting the island to the main land. "Robin left before we did. Hopefully we don't miss too much."

Ace held his bat between his legs, eyes peering out into the city. "Do you know who we're going up against?"

"The cams just showed a robber in a black outfit; thing is, he ripped almost half the wall off of the shop. It's not anyone that we've met though. Hey, maybe one of your friends?"

"Haha. Real funny."

Cy grinned as he turned sharply around a corner. The duo spotted Robin's red and yellow bike and pulled next to the curb, jumping out of the car. "Hey, Rob!" Cy yelled out into the empty night.

Ace frowned. "No. I don't _just_ have a bad feeling about this- Cy, this is definitely a trap."

"A trap? Whattaya mean-"

He was interrupted by a bright red and green object flying out of the giant hole in the shop's exterior. The shape hit the ground and slid till it was only a few feet in front of the duo.

"...Robin?" Ace asked.

Cyborg pulled his arm up, the hand shifting to reveal a glowing blue cannon barrel at his wrist. It whirred with power. "See if he's alright."

The anti-hero didn't respond, simply grabbing the unconscious Robin by his wrist and ankle, dragging him back towards the sidewalk. He kneeled by his leader. "Hey. Wake up."

"AAACE!" Cyborg yelled out suddenly, blasting a bright blue sonic blast into the night sky.

"Azarath metrion zinthos!" Raven yelled.

Ace turned from his leader to see a car soaring his way; only to be enveloped in black light and thrown to the side. The black-clad hero's eyes were wide with shock.

Cyborg was glaring into the dark of the shop, Raven was by his side; cloak torn nearly in half and her hands raised with the same black light the car glowed.

After a few moments of tense silence, a loud metallic sound began echoing through the night, growing with intensity before an enormous man stepped onto the edge of the destroyed wall. He placed a hand on the remains of the window sill and pulled himself out into Jump City; his other hand was holding Beast Boy by the back of his collar.

The man grinned and threw the shapeshifter forwards. He was covered in a shiny metal, like steel, and was completely hairless, only black pants and black boots remaining of his outfit. Brown eyes twinkled in malice as he stared at the heroes.

"Ah shit." Ace muttered.

Starfire flew from the shop at the robber, yelling with effort as she aimed a punch at his spine. He turned on his heel with lightning speed and grabbed the alien by her wrist, before upper-cutting her underneath her chin and sending her flying high into the sky.

"Azarath metrion zinthos!" Raven yelled again quickly, throwing a streetlight at the man. His hands shot out and caught the streetlight. He swung it at her and Cyborg like a baseball bat, sending her flying and Cyborg flying.

Ace threw a smoke bomb hard, hoping to confuse and disorient the man long enough to gain an advantage.

He caught the grenade and grinned as it hissed smoke out, filling up the alleyway.

Running at him, Ace leapt through the smoke and threw a brass-knuckled fist at the silhouetted man- who simply took it and laughed, before punching the hero way, like a ragdoll. " _Shit_." Ace reiterated through clenched teeth as he hit the ground, rolling to a stop.

Boulders ripped themselves from the asphalt and flew at the man.

Terra wrenched her hands together, eyes glowing yellow and her face pulled in concentration. The boulders slammed into the man, but simply shattered against him as he walked nonchalantly towards her. Sweat dripped down her face as she grabbed each increasingly small rock and uselessly continued her onslaught.

Ace's eyes widened and he pushed himself to his feet, running back towards the fray. "Terra!" He yelled. "Squish him, squish him, squish him, _squish him!_ "

The blonde hero nodded and complied, raising two enormous columns around the man and clasped her hands together, bringing the columns together.

Ace leapt and chucked a grenade forwards, letting it sandwich between the two columns and the man.

The columns exploded outwards from the grenade, and covered the street in rubble and yet more smoke.

"Whoo, fly the W!" Terra yelled, leaping and fist-pumping.

"Terra, if you think for a moment that I don't- duck!" He cut himself off with wide eyes, grabbing the blonde and pushing them both to the side.

An enormous chunk of one of the columns went flying past the heroes and slammed hard into the asphalt behind him.

The large man jumped on top of the building and leapt with inhuman speed and height away from the store.

Ace stared in exhaustion and indignity at the spot the man had stood.

Irritation and rage began filling his mind at the failure. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. Standing there for a minute, he eventually yelled infuriatedly before storming off.

Terra stood, confused. "Ace?"

* * *

 **-Titans Tower-**

The Titans sat around the living room, in various states of pain. Cyborg was quietly picking things out of his parts with tweezers, dropping them into a bowl, while Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy all sat quietly, bruises covering their bodies, ice packs helping ease their wounds. Terra was frowning, her arm in a sling but no other damage had been done to her.

Ace was standing off to the side, leaning against the wall as he held a cold can of Coke to the side of his forehead, a nasty bruise appearing from the man's punch.

Robin leaned forwards, wincing. "So what happened out there?"

"We rushed in without knowing the situation." Ace grumbled.

"Right. Did anyone ID the guy?" Silent headshakes greeted him, and the leader sighed. "Didn't think so. Take it easy for tonight. We'll worry about ID-ing him tomorrow. I doubt we'll be able to find him right now, or at least until he makes his presence known again." Robin rose to his feet and walked off, holding his ribs tightly.

The other five sat quietly.

After a few moments, Raven winced and moved from her spot, attempting to stand up. Ace pushed off the wall, moving around the couch to her front. He extended his hand to her.

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

Ace didn't move, nor take his hand away.

Raven scowled up at him. "I'm. Fine."

He motioned for her to take his hand again, not speaking. She let out an irritated breath and took his hand, allowing the new Titan to help her to her. She looked at him. "...Thanks." She levitated off of the ground and slowly floated towards her room, disappearing around the corner.

BB grinned weakly. "Ooh, Ace."

The black-clad anti-hero turned to him, face not amused.

The shapeshifter grinned sheepishly. "Eh heh... maybe later."

* * *

 **-Several Days Later-**

Ace leaned against the fridge, lost in thought for a few moments, enjoying the blissful quiet of the night.

The Titans were unique. Even he could tell that.

Moreso, they just... up and trusted him. Him and Terra. No questions asked. BB even trusted Ace with his personal controller- supposedly, Cy said that it was close to him. Ace didn't even play video games.

The anti-hero tapped the fridge rhythmically, staring out the enormous windows at Jump City's skyline.

His tapping slowed instinctively- _da-da-dun-da._ His hand loosened from his fist and he pulled it away from the fridge door, looking down at it almost accusingly, attempting to ignore the familiar, trademark- his thoughts halted abruptly as his skin prickled with goosebumps. The Californian nights were warm, but the telltale chill of a breeze set his nerves ablaze.

Ace scowled slightly and turned towards the hallway, following the cool draft to its source. Someone would have hell to pay. He turned to Beast Boy's door and knocked. "Beast Boy," He called out. There was no answer. "BB? Dammit, Garfield?" He spat out BB's real name, and knocked harder at the door.

After a moment of no answer, irritation began clouding his mind and he placed his hand on the sensor in the middle of the door, sending it sliding open.

Beast Boy's room was a mess; clothes and junk littering the place, a small TV sitting haphazardly on a small stand in the corner; the window on the far wall wide open, curtains fluttering gently. Ace frowned in confusion and curiosity, strolling over to the window and staring out.

He could make out the yellow hair of Terra, and the green skin of Beast Boy, and his instincts screamed at him in warning.

He hadn't made the breakthrough he'd been searching for. He had no concrete evidence.

But Ace knew, from the bottom of his heart, that something very bad was about to happen.

* * *

Ace gripped the ledge of the building hard, pulling himself off of the fire escape and onto the rooftop, black jacket blocking the slight breeze. The anti-hero narrowed his eyes behind his mask and pulled his binoculars up, looking through them at the fairground on the pier. BB and Terra were sitting in a cart of the Ferris wheel, high above the concrete. They were sitting close together, smiles on their faces.

"You haven't survived this long without being paranoid..." Ace muttered to himself, like he was attempting to convince himself.

After a few moments, Ace sucked in a breath.

There it was.

A tall, fit man walked out of the shadows of the wheel, staring at the two teens. He was dressed in a black body suit, silver armor covering his chest. A metal mask blocked his features; the left side bronze, with a wicked eye staring out, while the right side was pure black, with no discernable features.

Ace lowered the binoculars, staring in slight shock at the fairgrounds. "Deathstroke..." He said quietly, before quickly descending the building, making his way over to the fairgrounds.

Traitor or not; if Slade Wilson was there, there was a good chance Beast Boy and Terra were about to die.

* * *

Ace huffed in exertion and stared forwards as Beast Boy and Terra disappeared into a small building, astride a rock. Slade calmly walked through the entrance after them, as if nonplussed.

The black-clad anti-hero clenched his baseball bat tightly, prepared for a fight as he ran into the hall of mirrors after the trio. As he stepped into the disorienting rooms, he caught the tail-end of Terra's hair as she ran towards one extreme of the building; Deathstroke and BB were nowhere in sight, but the sounds of a scuffle on the other side of the building told Ace all he needed to know; he strolled after the blonde hero.

"Jesus Christ, Terra. What the hell is going on?" Ace asked, glaring at her back.

The blonde teen turned in shock. "Ace? Were you- were you following us?" She asked, wide-eyed.

"Do not turn this on me. Why is fucking Deathstroke here, Terra?"

Terra's upper lip wavered and tears pricked her eyes as she fell to her knees, hands clutching her head. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never- I never meant for any of this to happen-"

"Then why did you let it?" Beast Boy asked deathly quietly, walking towards the duo. He looked worse for wear, wincing in pain with a tear in his shirt. His eyes though, were filled with more pain than he should have been sporting.

She sniffed hard, wrenching her eyes shut. "I don't know, okay? I don't know. Slade, he- he helped me. Saved me from myself. He said I owed him-"

"So, it was all a game? You were just pretending?" The shapeshifter asked, voice louder now, but trembling with hurt and anger.

"No- no, please Gar. Please," She begged. "You said you'd be my friend no matter what, remember?"

"Slade was right. You don't have any friends." Beast Boy said bitterly, stepping away from her.

Ace stopped paying attention. Deathstroke was standing in the doorway, imposing frame more silhouetted than discernable. His one eye was peering back at Ace curiously, as if his mind was whirring in overtime.

Ace's certainly was.

Terra grit her eyes together tightly, squeezing two lone tears out of her eyes. When she looked back up, her eyes were filled with hurt and betrayal. She and Slade backed out of the building, and into the night.

Ace grabbed Beast Boy's shoulder and tugged him towards the exit. "BB, we need to go. Right. Now."

* * *

 **-Titans Tower-**

Ace tossed the laptop onto the remains of the couch. "Here."

Robin turned it towards himself and stared at the links. "What is this?"

"It's what I've been doing. Ever wondered where the bitch went after she left the first time? So does everyone else. She vanished. Dammit, Robin, you should've known." Ace replied, walking away to lean against the wall, mindful of the giant gash mark revealing the wiring and piping behind it

"Ace is right. We should've- we should've been more careful." Robin said from his spot on an upturned chair; the other Titans were in similar positions, leaning against or sitting on the any solid surface in the remnants of their living room.

While Ace, Beast Boy, and Terra had left the Tower; it had been revealed that it was all just a well laid trap by Slade. With two of the Titans lured out, dozens of the assassin's robot look-alikes had assaulted the tower; using security codes stolen by Terra right under their noses.

BB had quietly recalled his brief conversation with Deathstroke; Terra had been a spy, a plant all along. She was a traitor since she had returned after leaving the first time. It was all a brilliant ruse.

"Why didn't you anything?" Raven asked the newest Titan.

They all looked at Ace expectantly.

He raised an eyebrow. "I had. No. Evidence. I'm not stupid; you would have laughed at me at best. Worst, you would have sent me out for trying to frame Terra. Sides, she wasn't the mastermind. Slade was. And he's a lot, lot trickier than I am. I couldn't win."

BB shook his head. "None of us won..."

"You know," Ace began. "I can't have been the only one that figured them out, right? I mean, c'mon. Raven? Robin?"

"How are you taking this so well?" Robin asked, turning to his comrade. "Slade knows everything about us: our weaknesses, strengths, interests... _everything_." Robin asked.

"First off; you don't even know who I am- I don't even know who I am. All he knows is that I'm a jackass with a baseball bat. Secondly; what's the point? There's nothing we can do now but recoup and plan. I'd hoped that you would have known that." Ace replied, a bitter tinge to his voice.

Cyborg sighed. "He's right. All we can do is wait, I guess. Till we find something or she shows up."

Robin sighed and rose to his feet. "I'm going to get to work. Ace, Cyborg, I'd appreciate it if you would do the same."

Ace grabbed his laptop and walked towards his room. "Right. I work better in seclusion though."

* * *

The amnesiac hero sat on his bed and turned his laptop on, opening the flies and notes he had accumulated on Terra.

A new file appeared, and he narrowed his eyes. He was very anal about everything on the computer; he wouldn't have simply misplaced or forgotten something.

He double clicked on it, and a video opened up on his screen. It was pure blackness.

Ace cautiously moved the mouse and hit the play button.

A figure loomed out of the darkness, bronze mask gleaming in the light.

"Hello... 'Ace'," Slade Wilson said in a deep, smooth voice. "I've got a proposition for you."

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, sorry about the slightly late chapter. I'd meant to have it up yesterday, but life and shit, y'know? Course, seeing as how the time gap between the previous chapter and the one behind that was, like, a month, this is pretty small change. So yeah. Be grateful.**

 **So, watched Fantastic Four for the first time in forever, and I've got to say: Latveria is evil as fuck.**

 **They gave their national hero, as a prize for peace!, an evil ass mask. So I figured it out: Evil ass Latveria gave their evil ass hero a evil ass mask.**

 **Anywhom, hope you enjoyed. As always, give me a shoutout if you see any grammar issues, plot holes, or general inconsistencies. I'd appreciate it. Or, if you simply thought something was unclear, etc, etc, also give me a shout. PM, review- whatever works. I don't discriminate.**

 **R &R**

 **-Infernokota**


	12. Lemmy

**"My earliest memory is shouting; at what, and for what reason, I don't know. Probably a tantrum- or I may have been rehearsing, I was always an early starter."**

 **-Ian Kilmister**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's in this story. Except Wolf.**

 _I never fit in. Hell, I never have fit in anywhere. But effort is 60% of the battle, no?_

* * *

"I am just saying, it doesn't matter who's the better singer; the seventies fucking sucked compared to the eighties."

"'It doesn't matter'- boy, I will beat you!"

"Your fruity ass disco can't beat shit."

Robin sighed, rubbing his cast with a wince. "Guys, can we stop?"

Cyborg and Ace turned to him in unison. " _No_."

They looked back to each other. "Well..." Cy began hesitantly. "At least it's better than BB's music."

"Oh?" Ace asked snidely. "And what's that?"

"Drake, MGK, 'the Weeknd', whatever that is..."

The masked hero groaned. "Oh for fuck's sake."

"Right?"

Ace sighed. "I mean... Bowie and AC/DC aren't bad."

"And you _do_ have Prince." Cyborg admitted.

"Your music still fucking sucks."

"And yours isn't even music."

Ace nodded. "Good. That's settled."

Starfire blinked. "Why are they discussing the merits of years?"

"Honestly, Star, I don't know. Music, I guess."

Ace sat down at the kitchen counter while Cy walked to the sofa. The masked hero pinched his nose and clenched his eyes shut, drowning out Starfire's incessant questions as a headache began behind his eyes.

 _The barrel shot out the bullet with an impossibly loud 'bang!'- the hand ripped it up as he gargled and slammed it back down, over and over- "Die with some dignity, yeah?" the finger pulled the trigger._

Ace snapped his head up at the commotion, shaking himself out of his reverie.

Robin was screaming. An enormous pimple-protrusion thing sprouted on the leader's forehead and grew to the size of a bulldog before popping off- revealing a short, chubby Robin lookalike.

Ace slowly climbed off of his stool, headache forgotten. "...What the fuck is that?"

"I'm Nosyarg Kcid!" the short Robin mini-me called out.

The masked anti-hero's eyes narrowed in confusion and he slowly edged towards the hallway.

"So Nosy…" Beast Boy began. "Nawsey… we'll just call you Larry."

The mini-me's, now dubbed Larry, eyes lit up. "Larry!" He said to Beast Boy with a grin. "Le Larry" He said, moving towards the couch, speaking with a fake French accent while kissing Starfire's hand. "Larry!" he said over and over as he appeared in Raven's cloak, _inside_ of Cyborg's robot parts, and then in Ace's hair, parting the black locks apart to stare at the Titans.

Ace shuddered and patted at his hair as Larry appeared next to Robin again. He backed up to the hallway. "Ah ha ha, _no_." He turned and left, walking towards his room.

"Oh! That must be the infamous Ace of Spades! Or, actually, these timelines are very confusing, it might be-" Larry asked.

The alert went off. Cyborg checked his arm. "Looks like... Rancid? On Front Street, downtown."

"Titans, go take care of it." Robin said quietly, staring at his broken arm.

* * *

 **-Jump City-**

"Fuck!" Ace yelled out in frustration as Robin and Larry fell from the sky. "Dammit Robin! What the hell?"

"Calm down, Ace." Beast Boy said in Raven's voice.

"And what the _fuck_ is wrong with your voice?" Ace growled out, turning to the other Titans

"He didn't have a mouth so he took mine." Raven said in Cyborg's voice.

"I hate all of you," Ace said quietly with a scowl. "So, what the literal fuck did you and Larry do?" He asked, staring at the city.

Jump quickly morphed, sky being replaced with blue scribbles, the buildings and street being replaced with cardboard cut-outs, any features replaced with sloppily done drawings done in multiple colors.

"Yeah, this looks like something that should be on my Grandma's fridge." Cyborg agreed.

"Ooh, me and Robin broke reality!" Larry answered giddily.

Ace's mouth dropped open as he shared disbelieving looks with Raven. "You. _Broke_ reality? Like, Lord of Chaos level broke?" he asked.

"Yep, me and Robin did!" Larry answered, oblivious of the pure malice being sent his way.

"I'm going to go insane." Robin scowled.

"Ditto." Raven deadpanned as her hair changed into a replica of Marge's from the Simpsons.

Ace gingerly touched at his face and looked to his fingers; white powdery paint covered the tips. He turned away from the Titans.

Starfire giggled as her head grew wings and flew off her body.

Ace looked over to see a huge streak of light coming out of Titan's tower; the only building still intact.

"Well, that should be relatively easy to get to." Robin stated.

Cy sighed. "You had to, didn't ya?"

Raven rolled her eyes.

On cue, a giant cartoon Godzilla came towards them, seemingly from nowhere.

"Of course." Ace spat.

"Run!" Robin yelled.

The Titans booked it, not noticing Beast Boy disappear in their haste.

Huddling down in an alcove, Robin motioned to the Titans to stay quiet. Until the idiot Beast Boy came running by, chasing a pole that had a mouth.

"Titans… we… should go." Ace whispered.

Then the Godzilla ripped the top of their hiding place off.

"RUN!" Cyborg repeated Robin's command, coaxing the Titans to run from the sloppily done beast.

* * *

 **-Titan Island-**

The Titans took an insanely idiotic moment to goggle at the beacon of light shooting from the rooftop of the Tower into the cartoony sky hanging above them.

"I could look at that all day." Beast Boy said dreamily.

"Now all we need to do is turn it off. Larry-" Robin said.

"No you won't," Rancid said standing on an air conditioner. The biker was tall and muscular, white skin offset by black hair and an equally black jacket, matching a white shirt, jeans, and black boots. "That thing controls all this, and I'm going to get it." He gestured to himself with a black glove-clad hand before leaping into the beam of light.

The column of light exploded outwards, illuminating everything in a flash of white.

As the Titans' eyes adjusted to the light, they stared at a new city; the skyscrapers reached impossibly high into the sky, tilting dangerously. Every edge of the buildings elongated into sharp corners and spikes, the buildings and sky themselves taking on a black hue, as if clouds blocked out the sky.

Ace's breath hitched. "Gotham?" He asked curiously.

"Cool," Raven said. She turned to the others, and blushed slightly under their curious looks. "Uh, I mean... oops."

"Bird Boy! Ready for me to clip your other wing?" Rancid yelled, punching his own fist. "Your city is mine. Your reality is mine!" He let out a cackle, lightning and thunder booming behind him.

He pulled two gun-like weapons out and shot at Robin. Two blasts of red exploded on the spot Robin had stood, Cyborg blasting his leader with his cannon, sending him out of the way. The weapons created a large explosion. Rancid raised his hands, red lightning sparking out of them. The sparks collected into the shape of a black and white Harley

"C'mon, Bird Boy, let's see if you can fly!" Rancid called back as he jumped on his bike. He revved the engine and gripped the throttle, the bike flying out into the night, fire sitting suspended behind the bike.

"Titans Go!" Cyborg oddly said this time.

Pointing his hand at the bike, it shot off with a coil behind it. Grabbing onto the bike's back wheel, he was pulled out to sea, disappearing into the night.

Ace and the two Robins watched as the other three Titans followed Cyborg and Rancid.

"Agh, this is infuriating! Ace, you need to go." Robin growled out.

Ace had narrowed his eyes, staring out at the skirmish above the sky. "Hey, I know you don't care, but... do you think I could take the bike? I mean, I know how to drive one. He won't need it. It's a nice bike, you know?"

"Titans go! Titans go! Robin has to beat the bad guy!" Larry interrupted excitedly, cutting off any further explanation on Ace's part.

"...I can't." Robin muttered quietly.

Larry cocked his head. "But why can't you? You're Robin!"

"Don't you get it?" Robin exploded. "Look at me! I'll just mess it up again!"

"So?" Larry countered with a raised brow. "I mess up all the time! But I still try. That's how come you're my hero, Robin. Because no matter what, you always try."

Robin smiled as Larry conjured the R-Bike with two extra seats.

"You coming?" Larry asked the well dressed anti-hero.

"Nah. You guys go. Your day to save. I'll... catch up."

The two Robins shrugged and took off after the others.

* * *

 **-An Hour Later-**

Ace silently picked through the rubble, eyes searching for a glint of metal.

The battle was over. Rancid had lost, the city had been saved, the Titans were home safe, blah blah blah.

The dark-clad Titan was only focused on one thing.

As his hand pushed aside a piece of cement, it brushed against something rubber. His eyes lit up and he pushed away more and more debris; revealing Rancid's motorcycle; dented, the handlebars and the front wheel broken altogether- but nevertheless there.

He pushed it up onto its wheels and forced it forwards down the street. He could've called Cyborg to tow it, true; but he'd rather walk with it.

Gave him time to think.

* * *

 **-Titan Tower-**

Cyborg grinned and wiped his hands off on a rag. "And... that's about it. You'll have to take it out for a drive so I can run some diagnostics on it, but... I mean... we did it."

Ace leaned back in his chair and let out a puff of breath. "Didn't know that mechanic shit would be this hard."

"Really? No one ever taught you..." Cyborg trailed off as Ace raised a bored eyebrow. "Right. Sorry."

The anti-hero shrugged. "No offense taken."

"So, you want to give it a ride first? Or do you want to show it off?"

* * *

Ace leaned against the doorframe, grinning into the garage at his creation as the other four Titans joined him and Cy.

"Now, this is a lot of hardwork and thought, okay? Take it easy on his baby," Cyborg began. "Let me introduce to you, the newest addition to the Titan Garage!"

The eldest teen ripped off the blanket covering the bike, the new black and white paint job gleaming in the light.

"Is that... Rancid's bike?" Robin asked.

"Why yes, yes it is," Ace answered. "Cy and I suped it up. Told you I could get it."

"We really upgraded everything," Cyborg added, arms crossed proudly. "Don't know how Rancid got around on it without it falling apart. Of course, we had to redo the color scheme."

"I call her Lemmy." Ace said, grinning.

"So, does how does it... run?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly.

"Uh... we… don't know." Cyborg said honestly.

"But it's never too late to try," Ace hopped onto the bike and started it, filing the garage with a loud roar. He turned to Cy. "Muffler! We need a muffler!"

Cyborg nodded and tapped at the monitor on his arm, making a note of it.

The anti-hero revved the motorcycle a few times before moving the kickstand up, piloting the vehicle out of the garage and towards Jump.

* * *

 **-Several Weeks Later-**

The Titans cruised down the street, sun setting behind Jump City's skyscrapers, bathing the city in a warm orange glow.

"Ok… so why do ducks make such good comedians?" Beast Boy began, already snickering. "Because they always quack out a good joke! Hahaha."

The others in the T-Car- Rob, Star, Rae, and Cy- didn't laugh. Ace grinned from his spot behind the car, hands gripping the clutch and throttle of 'Lemmy' comfortably.

"Pull over, I'm going to be sick." Raven said.

"Oh I see, it is funny because ducks do not have the brain capacity to make jokes, hehehe." Starfire giggled.

"Actually Star... it's just not funny." Robin said softly.

"Because, Beast Boy doesn't have the brain capacity to make jokes." Raven droned.

"Come on Rae, you know I'm hilarious. And I won't give up till I make you smile," BB was silent for a moment in thought. "Alright, why did the aardvark cross the road?"

"To beat up the idiot telling jokes about him?" Raven deadpanned.

Ace, Robin, and Cyborg shared a laugh at that.

"Ahaha, idiot telling jokes about him…" Cyborg said, still laughing.

"Now _that's_ funny." Robin agreed.

Ace hummed in agreement as well. He let out a quiet sigh and turned his communicator off, allowing himself to lose himself in thought. He pulled up to the right of the T-Car and gestured with his thumb to the right, planning to turn. Cyborg saluted him and the two vehicles pulled into the intersection- one headed forwards, the other turning away.

There was a whoosh of air and an enormous boulder slammed into the T-Car, sending it slamming to the right. The car slammed into Ace and his bike, sending the lone rider flying away. Instincts kicked in and he scrabbled to the side, avoiding his motorcycle sliding quickly past him.

He sat up, putting a hand to his bloody mask, head ringing in what he was sure was a concussion. Attempting to stand up, he immediately fell back down, blanking out of consciousness. After a few moments, his eyes drooped open again. Looking around he noticed the battered Titans standing across the street from Terra. The blonde girl was dressed in a form fitting silver suit, an orange crest with a black 'S' sitting in the middle. Cold eyes stared at her former teammates.

"Titans, retreat!" Robin yelled, dropping a smoke bomb and filling the street with smoke

Cyborg ran over and picked Ace up, slinging him over his shoulder.

The Titans ran.

* * *

 **-Titan Tower-**

"Urgh... I should have blasted her when I had the chance." Cyborg said, picking rocks out of his systems.

"I should have hit her with everything I had." Raven added miserably.

"Why did I permit her to fool me again?" Starfire agreed.

"Why couldn't we take her down just like every other criminal?" Robin asked.

"Because she's not just another criminal. She's Terra. She was a Titan. She was...our friend." Beast Boy said, looking confused.

"Oh give me a break with your lovesick nonsense," Ace said from his position away from the group. "She _is_ a criminal. She's just as much of a criminal as Slade. She wasn't a Titan, and she wasn't your friend. So get over it."

"He's right," Raven agreed, "Terra was never our friend. She was a liar and a spy. Trained by Slade and sent to destroy us. She's evil. Always has been. Always will be."

"You don't know what you're talking about, okay, Raven! She's made some serious mistakes, but she's not-" Beast Boy said, voice rising in irritation.

"Hey, man, the girl wrecked my car. Seems pretty evil to me." Cyborg halfheartedly joked.

Beast Boy flipped a table in anger. "This isn't a joke! I knew her better than anyone! I know all the terrible things she's done and I know exactly how messed up she is. But she's not evil! We can't just give up on her!"

"Goddammit, you idiot, I called it back when she was here!" Ace began, pushing off of the wall. "Not evil my ass. She tried to _kill_ us, _if you didn't notice_. She's not coming back, and you need to step up and face it."

BB pushed the taller Titan back. "Shut up, Ace! Just because you don't like her, and that you were right- agh! I'm sorry that you don't have any memories, or care about anyone, but some of us do!" he yelled.

"Beast Boy, she's working for Slade." Robin said softly.

"When you were working for Slade, did we give up on you?" Beast Boy growled out pointedly.

Robin went silent, head bowed.

"Don't you do it Robin…" Ace warned.

"She gets one last chance! One!" Robin yelled, going against his better judgement. "We have to break Slade's grip on he. We have to try to get Terra back." he said.

"Are you kidding me?" Ace yelled. "She. Is not. Coming back! She is not in 'Slade's grip'. _She's there on her own volition._ Trust me, if she didn't want to be there she wouldn't, I..." Ace trailed off. At the looks of pleading and exasperation from the others, he snarled. "I am surrounded by imbeciles!" He yelled in infuriation as he stalked away.

The alarm went off.

* * *

Ace rode his bike down the dirt road, eyes trained forwards as the wind ripped around his helmet-less head. Raven flew beside him, purple cloak fluttering in the wind

" _We've got three escaped criminals attacking three different places. Whatever Slade's doing, we have to split up and stop it_." Robin said through the communicators.

" _Robin and I shall take Cinderblock_." Starfire said.

Raven looked to Ace. "Ace and I can take Overload."

" _And Beast Boy and I can deal with Plasmus_." Cyborg agreed.

" _What about Terra_?" BB asked sincerely.

" _We'll have to deal with her when this is over_." Robin said after a moment.

After a few moments of silent travelling, Ace and Raven arrived at an enormous building, walls lined with metal. No windows were visible on the building. The duo walked towards it. Ace's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

He looked to her. "...This place has gotta have pipes, right?"

Raven shrugged boredly. "I guess."

"...If you can get them out, then... maybe we can end this early..."

She nodded. If she felt the unease he did, she didn't show it.

The Azarathian muttered her spell and a black portal appeared in front of them. As they walked through it and into the midst of the building, they were greeted by an enormous blue humanoid, made entirely of blue electricity; a red and black computer chip sat suspended in the middle of its chest. Overload lumbered up towards them from a lowered platform.

Ace drew his baseball bat, holding it warily towards the creature. "Raven, now is a good time to-"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Rae yelled, pipes exploding through the walls and spraying spouts of water at the villain. The blue humanoid shrank and shrank until all that was left was the computer chip, soaked with water. The flow of the water from the pipes subsided.

Kneeling down, Ace picked up the now useless chip. "Raven, something's definitely not right."

A blast of mud came out of the pipes and shot towards the duo. One sprout slammed into Ace, knocking him back and against a wall.

Everything went dark.

Waking up moments later, he stared in slight shock at the sight of Terra on an enormous column of mud- Raven was adjacent of the traitor, an enormous effigy of glowing black, four red eyes staring at Terra from under the hood. More mud came out of the pipes, and the mud layering the floor rose into the air, covering the transformed Raven and pushing her to the ground. After a few moments, the telepath was lost under the mud, motionless.

Ace leapt to his feet and ran towards them. His steps slowed and slowed, the mud solidifying with each step he took, until they were trapped under dirt entirely. Mud quickly moved from the dirt and up his body, holding him in place like glue. It stopped at his shoulders.

"Aw, what's the matter Ace? Stuck?" She taunted. "Quite the predicament you're in. You know, I never really liked you," she said. "I mean, I know you had it out for me. Plus, Slade told me your secret. How can you even begin to try and be a 'Titan'? I betrayed them and I'm still a better person than you are. _Silly me_. Monologuing. Any last words?"

"Bite me." Ace growled out.

"'Bite me' is a poor choice of last words."

"Bite me, choke, and die so I can laugh at your dumbass."

"Much better." She raised her hands, and the mud covered his head.

Terra stood there for a minute, smirking to herself when the mud around his arms exploded outwards, his hands clenched into fists. Panicking, she quickly recovered him in mud and solidified it into dirt. Sighing, she watched the statue for a moment in trepidation. Deciding that he wasn't going to get free, she sighed and walked away.

* * *

Everything was black. Not the familiar, unconscious black he'd come to know, but a conscious, suffocating _darkness_. That, plus the lack of air, quickened his heart rate as he began to panic.

"Died in a dirt tomb," He wasn't sure if the voice was even his. "Such a shame. Shame, shame, shame. Shame that all you needed was a little... _push_."

His eyes widened and he moved his index finger- pulling out the pin of the grenade in his hand.

There was a few seconds of silence, then a deafening explosion. The dirt exploded around him, shattering his statue prison, but also sending him flying to the side, slamming into the mud.

Ace lay there for a few moments, pain racking his body. He winced hard, weakly pulling his tattered jacket off. The ballistic vest fell alongside it, crushed inwards. He pulled himself into a sitting position. "I've... gotta stop doing that." He muttered, pulling up his hand to stare at it.

He hadn't grabbed a grenade when he'd tried his last ditch effort to attack Terra. He knew that. It must've been instinct.

It must've been the push.

Ace stumbled to his feet, pushing the pain out of his mind as he trudged into the calf high mud. His hand caught Raven's cloak and he pulled her backwards, to an elevated platform. She was paler than she normally was, white skin covered in mud. Her chest didn't rise with breath.

 _Let her die_ , a thought told him, popping into his head, _she's already dead. Let her die._

He slumped to his knees and let his head droop backwards, letting out an exasperated yell.

"This once. Paying it back." He said quietly, moving down towards her. He blew into her mouth, then leaned back, compressing her chest in practiced precision.

Breathe. Push. Breathe. Push. Breathe-

Raven's eyes snapped open and she coughed out mud violently, taking in huge breaths of air. Her eyes were wide, staring at the ceiling. Ace fell from his knees to a sitting position, wiping the mud she spat out, onto his hand, against the metal grated floor.

"Ace?" she said weakly, still gasping for air.

"Yes. No thanks necessary, we need to go." He rose to his feet and offered her a hand, helping the exhausted telepath to a standing base. Ace threw her arm over his shoulder and helped her towards the exit, fully intent on breaking down any security barriers in his way.

He was simply too livid to care.

* * *

Ace stared at his communicator and the small grid showing on the screen. Two small white dots came into sight and he finally looked up; the small clearing looked like a battlefield; chunks of dirt and rocks ripped from the ground, small metal items littering the place.

The dark-clad hero let Raven drop slowly, setting her against a log. His first goal was to find Robin.

After a few moments of searching, he found a haphazardly thrown together pillar of rocks. Drawing his baseball bat, he gingerly pried it apart, expecting a trap.

Robin fell from the tomb as it gave way under his weight. Dropping his bat, Ace caught his leader. "Hey, hey, you alright?"

The Titans' leader didn't answer, barely breathing.

Ace sighed and dragged the hero over to Raven. He sighed tiredly. "See what you can do for him. I'm gonna go find Star."

Standing there for a moment, Ace walked off, eyes glued to his communicator as he followed Starfire's signal. After a few moments, he stopped at a cliff and looked down its face to the beach below; Koriand'r's signature purple stood out like a beacon on the sand.

"Ah shit." He mumbled, looking around for something to aid in his rescue.

"I got it." A low, hurt voice said from behind him.

He didn't have a chance to look back before a green pterodactyl flew over the cliffside and to the water below, snatching Starfire up in its claws. It flew back up and over Ace's head, depositing the unconscious alien by Raven and Robin. Cyborg was kneeling on a knee, staring in concern at his leader when Beast Boy transformed back into his normal form, sitting dejectedly on the log.

The shapeshifter looked up as Ace approached. He bowed his head in pain and shame. "...I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Ace didn't sit, simply looking at the defeated Titans. "There's time for sorrys later. Right now, we need to get someplace safe."

Cyborg shook his head, looking up to his friend. "We can't head back to the Tower; I checked the systems... or at least tried. Slade's got the place locked down."

BB slumped further. "Then what else can we do? Go to the police?"

Ace was silent for a few moments. "...I... think I know where we can go."

* * *

 **-Ace's Hideout, Several Hours Later-**

Ace pushed open the heavy wooden door to the cave, struggling slightly- vine had covered the door, attaching it slightly to the walls.

The Titans limped in after him as he strolled about, turning on the generators and lighting the place up.

"Ace..." Beast Boy said quietly.

The black-clad hero grinned behind his mask, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it onto the makeshift table. "Yeah..."

Cyborg was staring at Ace. "How even..."

"It felt natural."

"Right under us... all this time..."

Robin moved from his spot at Starfire's side, letting the alien sit down quietly. "How did you even find this place?"

"Well, when... when I came to Jump I... I heard about the Titans and I... figured that it would be best to stick as close as possible. For safety's sake. Enough about that though. What are we going to do about Terra?" Ace asked quietly.

"She gets no more chances." Robin said.

"No more trust." Starfire added.

"And no more mercy." Raven said.

"She's just another criminal." Beast Boy said.

"And we are going to stop her, no matter what it takes." Robin ended, punching a gloved hand into his fist.

"When you guys fight Terra-" Ace began.

"You guys?" BB asked.

"I... I've got something I need to do. I might have a lead on Slade. But if he's focused on you guys and Terra, then that's all the time I'll need to get to him."

"Ace, you can't just take Slade on by yourself." Robin said quietly.

"No. I can't. That's why I've got a plan... 'sides. I'm not the one Terra stabbed in the back. Figure you guys are gonna need a bit more carthesis than I do. Trust me, okay?"

Robin nodded. "Alright. Titans, we should head out now- find Terra, and take her down. Ace, give us some time before you go. We'll give you a distraction."

* * *

Ace crept forward quietly, crouching low in the smoke.

Slade had completely conquered the city in extreme precision, effortlessly making the city his in a few short hours. No one was walking the streets, everything was covered in a thick gray fog, obscuring anything more than a few feet away.

One of Slade's robots leapt in front of him, white eyes staring blankly.

Ace tensed and stepped forwards.

* * *

The Titans sprinted into the cave entrance after Beast Boy.

The Titans had defeated Terra, sending the terrified girl running. Then they defeated more of Slade's minions.

The green shapeshifter had ran from the fight after Terra.

As they entered the monastery, they skidded to stops- Beast Boy was standing idly, Terra standing across from him, a stalagmite raised above his head.

Ace was crouched low, baseball bat rolling away from him.

"STOP!" Robin yelled, the Titans collecting around the two, preparing to attack Terra.

"Strike, apprentice! Now!" Slade yelled from his spot on a platform above the battle.

"Terra, _no!_ " Robin yelled.

"It'll be the last thing you'll ever do." Raven said, appearing behind Terra.

"I gave you an order! Do it!" Slade commanded.

"Please, Terra, no!" Starfire pleaded.

"Don't do it! _Don't do it_!" Cyborg warned.

"Listen to us, Terra!" Robin said desperately.

"You're not playing around here!"

"Fight it!"

"You're still our friend!"

"You don't have to do this!"

"We want to help!"

"It's your life, Terra. Your choice. It's never too late to change." Beast Boy said softly.

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy- for everything I've done," Terra said, face a mask of grief. Clenching her fist, she yelled and threw the rock at Slade.

Wilson dodged the attack, eyes wide. He turned back to her. "You ungrateful little..." he trailed off, running at her.

Raising an enormous column beneath both of them, she took the fight high towards the roof of the cave, and out of the Titan's view. After a few minutes, the top of the nearest column glowed, before Slade was pushed off. He fell- past the Titans, past the floor and into the pool of lava sitting below.

Slade disappeared.

"Terra's power must have started a volcano or something! Big enough to take out the whole city! And WAY too big to stop!" Cyborg called out, checking the sensors on his arm.

Raven blocked a wave of lava that came flying over the ledge towards them, the lava level rising quickly. "We have to get out of here!" she said.

The Titans, with the exception of Ace and BB, sprinted away from the monastery, and out into Jump City.

Beast Boy and Terra hugged tightly for a few moments, saying quiet things to each other. Ace grabbed onto BB's arm and dragged him away, not looking back.

The last thing they heard was Terra's yell as her power exploded behind them.

* * *

 **-The Next Day-**

The Titans walked on the pathway the stone pathway, sending looks around the cave that had only a handful of hours ago been a monastery. At the end of the pathway stood Terra- made of pure stone, like a statue, her hands raised and mouth open in a final yell of defiance.

Starfire stepped up to the statue and placed a bouquet of flowers at the base of the statue. "I shall miss you, friend." She said quietly.

"We'll be searching for a way to reverse the effect." Raven added.

"We'll bring her back." Robin said.

"Someday." Cyborg added.

Beast Boy placed a plaque at the statue's feet that read 'Terra. A Teen Titan. A True Friend.' "I'll never forget you." He said, before walking away with the others.

Watching their retreating backs for a moment, Ace looked back at the statue. He sent a slight look around the cave, before turning his attention back to Terra's face.

"I'm sorry," He said. "I get it. I get why you did it. And I'm sorry. It's not easy to do what you did- either betrayal, I guess. But I'm sorry. Your sacrifice is going to be in vain."

* * *

"I'm sorry."

* * *

 **A/N: Merry belated Christmas, everyone! Considered updating this yesterday, but eh. I've got a schedule to keep. Anywho, hope you guys had a great weekend, and I will talk to you next time.**

 ** **Review! It gives me happiness and more motivation to write!****

 **As always: R &R,**

 **-Pimp Daddy Infernokota**


	13. Running From the Devil

**"I hated every minute of training, but I said 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"**

 **-Muhammad Ali**

 **Disclaimer: I'm getting real damn tired of typing it. Look it up.**

 _I'll never forget it... the looks on their faces; priceless._

* * *

Ace stood quietly in the garage, lights humming above him. He touched his hand to the Lemmy, frowning at the dents and tears in the bike's chassis.

"Disappointment." He said quietly, but bitterly.

 _"I would know what that's like."_

Ace turned over his shoulder slightly at the voice before back to the bike. The door to the elevator opened and Cyborg stepped out.

"Hey, man, standin' in here by yourself?" Cy asked.

"...Yeah. Thinking about the bike."

Cyborg sucked in a breath. "Yeah, it's always hard. 'Specially when you put so much heart and soul into it. I gotta fix up the T-Car, so we may as well fix the Lemmy as well."

"Yeah." Ace said distractedly.

The elder teen frowned in concern. "Hey, you alright?"

The black-clad teen shook his head and turned to Cyborg. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Cy frowned, but didn't press the issue. "Hey, wanna help me out? Go grab the tire jack, let's teach ya some car magic."

* * *

 **-Several Days Later-**

Ace stared out across the bat at Jump City, sitting quietly on Titan Island. Waves crashed at the rocks beneath him as he lost himself in thought.

"What would you do?" He muttered to himself. He sighed and rose to his feet, walking back towards the tower

* * *

Ace stepped into the living room, taking a seat at the couch. The Titans gave him a chorus of greetings. "Hey, listen, I was thinking about the six of us taking the night off. You know, relax, take a load off. Hit the town, enjoy life. It's been a while since anyone's really relaxed. You- we need it." Ace suggested.

"That would be awesome." Cyborg sighed.

"Well… it would be irresponsible," Robin said unsurely. "The city's just getting back on its feet-"

"Oh, a day of vacation would be wonderful!" Starfire shouted out, shooting into the air. She dropped back onto the couch and looked to Robin. "If... that is okay with you."

Robin's face was blank. "I..."

"C'mon, Rob," Beast Boy said with a grin. "It's just one night. What harm could it do?"

"...Alright. We'll take tonight off." Robin conceded.

"See? Was that so hard?" Ace said.

Starfire whooped in excitement, flying into the air again.

* * *

Ace grinned behind his mask, listening to Cyborg's story.

"Aight, then I hit the guy and- man, you could hear the crowd suck in a breath. The receiver's sprinting down the field, just open space for ages- and then trips! I make this awesome, game saving call, and the dude just up and trips. Haha, then the crowd starts booing, and the guy just gets up, all dejected and walks right to the sideline." Cyborg said, snickering.

Starfire was frowning. "I do not understand. The goal is to hit people?"

"No, Star. There's two teams with a goal each. The goal is to take a ball to the other team's goal, and you get points. The team with the most points wins."

The Tamaranian's eyes lit up. "Oh, so it is like Yu'Gwa!"

The Titans were silent.

Ace placed his hands behind his head leisurely as they walked down the street. "Sure, Star. Sure."

Beast Boy skidded to a stop and backed up. He grinned widely at the store. "Guys..."

Cy shared the grin. "We've gotta."

Ace peeked into the window. "An arcade?"

"An arcade!"

Robin frowned. "I didn't know they still had these."

"That's cuz you're from Gotham. You have nothing fun. In the civilized world, we have lots of fun." BB replied, stepping into the dimly lit room, walls lined with old arcade games.

Ace lingered at the door for a moment.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You coming?"

"...No. I'm just gonna chill out here."

Her gaze didn't leave him for a moment in curiosity before she followed the Titans into the building.

Ace leaned against the wall and slumped into a sitting position. He'd been sitting for a few minutes when he heard the jingling.

The beggar was tall and emaciated, long, jagged face obscured by a ratty beard. He held a bowl out to Ace, change layering the bottom of it. "Mr. Titan," the beggar said. "Spare a few coins for the needy?"

Ace didn't look up. "Go away."

The beggar's face dropped in shock and he shuffled away.

Ace didn't need to look over to notice his disappearance.

* * *

After an hour or so, the team left the arcade, chuckling amongst themselves. Robin frowned as he saw Ace leaning against the door way, head bowed. "Ace?" He asked.

The hero didn't respond.

Cyborg shared Robin's frown and poked Ace. "Hey, you okay?"

Ace's head whipped up and he shook it, rousing himself from sleep. "Agh, sorry. What's goin' on?"

"We were leaving. Gonna hit a few more spots then head to the fair for a bit." Robin said.

The black-masked hero rose to his feet. "Where to, then?"

"Ooh!" Beast Boy said excitedly. "Let's head to the fireworks shop!"

Ace froze, the Titans taking a few steps ahead of him before Robin stopped to turn to him. "Ace?"

"Why do we need fireworks?"

"Fourth of July's in a few days. We haven't had a chance to pick any up. Why, what's wrong?"

The newest Titan's eyes darted to the street. "My... birthday's on the seventh."

Starfire beamed. "Oh, friend! We were not aware, we must prepare!"

"Seriously, bro, why didn't you say anything?" Cyborg asked, lightly punching his friend's shoulder.

"Because it's not important..." Ace muttered.

"Course it is! It's your birthday dud-"

"It. Is not. Important." The amnesiac hero growled out.

Raven frowned thoughtfully. She turned to Robin- the leader's face was carefully blank, masked eyes staring at his friend. She raised a curious eyebrow, catching his eye. He shook his head silently.

Cy frowned. "Aight. Won't mention it again. We good?"

Ace's flitted to the street again before back to Cyborg. "...Yeah. We're good."

Robin stepped forwards. "We'll hit up the fireworks shop later. No need to right now."

"Ooh, ooh!" Beast Boy called excitedly, shattering the tension. "Wanna head to the fair?"

A chorus of agreement greeted the shapeshifter. BB turned to Ace, a pleading look on his face. "Ace?"

The masked hero was silent for a few moments. He reached a hand up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, guys..."

"C'mon," Cy said, grinning comfortingly at his friend. "You need to let loose once in a while. And 'sides, if Rae is going, you have no excuse."

Ace stared at his team for a few moments before sighing. "Alright."

"Relax. It'll be fun."

* * *

The Titans stepped onto the large pier, as the lights and sounds of the fairgrounds lit up the night. Ace scratched at his mask absentmindedly as he took in the enormous Ferris wheel soaring high above them.

Beast Boy sighed slightly, stepping up to his comrade. "Last time we were here, we lost Terra. Feels like forever ago, huh?"

The amnesiac hero's attention turned to the hall of mirrors sitting off to the side. "Yeah."

BB's face split into a huge smile. "Hey, no time to dwell. I wanna check out the midway games! Hey, Rae, betcha I could win a teddy bear for ya."

"Why would I want a teddy bear. Why would I want a teddy bear from _you_."

"Don't be like that, mama. I've got skills."

"You're missing the point."

Ace stood still in the entrance, watching in slight bemusement as the duo walked off further into the fairgrounds, Raven's purple cloak disappearing in the crowd. The masked hero was left alone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a brightly dressed clown handing a balloon animal to little kid. A worker in a shop called over to him, asking him to take a shot at a game. The exhilarated screams of a dozen people echoed throughout the pier as a rollercoaster flew by overhead.

Ace blocked out the sensory overload, focusing in on the pair of eyes watching him. Robin stood next to a food stand, masked eyes peering at his comrade as Starfire had the shop owner explain to her what some food or another was.

The two heroes locked eyes for a moment before Ace turned away, bristling. He strode into the crowd of people, nervous ablaze at Robin's calculated gaze.

Perhaps he did need to relax. At least let himself be distracted- for as long as he could, anyway.

Ace sighed and tugged at the uncomfortable paper bracelet wrapped around his wrist as he stepped in line for the ferris wheel. He rolled his jacket sleeves up, stifling in the heat of the crowd.

"Ace!" An unfamiliar voice called. He ignored it, assuming that someone was simply letting out a yell of triumph. "Hey, Ace!" The voice repeated.

That was less coincidental.

The masked hero sighed and turned to the crowd, attempting to pick out the person calling his name. He peered around people for a moment, confusion slowly growing over him- before he stopped dead, blood running cold.

He stared at the pale face smiling back at him, painted lips smiling- in sincerity or malice.

"Hey, dude, the line's moving," A voice said from behind him. He didn't register it, not able to draw his eyes away from the specter. "Hey, dude, go," The man placed a hand on Ace's shoulder, trying to jostle the hero back to reality. Ace ignored him as his jaw began trembling- in fear or shock, he wasn't sure. "Dude!" He man repeated, shaking the black masked teen's shoulder.

Ace let out a yell of adrenaline and turned on his heel, slamming a fist into the man's face. The people around them gasped in surprise as the man stumbled backwards, holding his nose in pain.

"What the hell, guy?!" The man yelled.

Ace didn't answer, huffing as he stood stock still, hand still lowered from the follow-through of the punch. His eyes were wide, like an uncaged animal. His head turned to the crowd- to the pale face smiling at him, closer now.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

The man pushed Ace, bringing the teen's attention back to the confrontation. Ace yelled and dove at the man, fists flying wildly. The combatants went to the ground, the civilian's hands trying to protect his face as the hero battered him with vicious strikes.

Ever time Ace brought his weight up to throw another punch, the pale face shone like a beacon in the crowd, drawing closer and closer as time went on.

The man reached up to Ace's face, pushing the hero's head to the side as he tried to stop the onslaught. He grabbed the black-clad teen's mask and jostled Ace's head side to side, attempting to dislodge the teen.

Ace threw the civilian's hands to the side and brought his head down, slamming his forehead into the other man's. The stranger went limp, unconscious. The click-clack of dress shoes on concrete echoed throughout the fairgrounds, and a pair of black wing-tips came into his vision, leading up to purple pinstripe pants.

The hero didn't stop wailing on the man, hands wildly slamming into his face. Yelling filled the air- and it took him a few moments to realize that it was him screaming. He zoned out again as the stranger walking up to him stopped next to him silently. The man began laughing.

Ace scrambled off of the man to stare in horror at the stranger. Except, there was no one there.

Reality shot back to him and he peered around; a crowd had drawn around them, staring in horror at the hero. The man lay on the ground, face a bloody mess. Members of the crowd were pushed aside, and the Titans emerged. They looked from the man to Ace, eyes flitting back and forth in confusion.

Ace reached up a hand to his mouth as horror overtook him. His eyes widened as he realized that his mask had been pulled down. His eyes went wide in panic and he scrambled backwards, pushing his way through the crowd. He sprinted out of the exit to the street and didn't stop running, disappearing into Jump City.

* * *

 **-Titan Tower-**

Ace turned the corner into bathroom, huffing hard. He leaned against the sink, eyes screwed tightly shut. "Nonononono." He muttered to himself repeatedly.

"This isn't how it's supposed to go, this wasn't how I wanted to do it."

He lifted his head up and stared into the mirror. His pale face stared back at him, scars reaching across his cheeks. He had smeared the blood of the beaten man across his face, painting his lips a deep crimson red. Not drawing his eyes from the reflection, he turned the sink on and splashed water on his face, watching the blood wash off. He shook his head and turned on his heel, heading to the living room.

He didn't bother turning any lights on as he stepped towards the couch, pale moonlight illuminating him and the empty, quiet room.

Ace let out a shuddering breath and dragged his hands across the table, knocking everything off with a strained yell.

The scream echoed throughout the empty tower.

* * *

 **-Gotham City-**

The Batman slammed an armored fist into the Joker's face, bone crunching under the blow. The Clown Prince giggled and attempted to crawl away towards a butterfly knife laying on the ground.

The vigilante grabbed the Joker's ankle and dragged him back, the madman's purple-gloved hands scrabbling at the ground.

 _"Where is the bomb?!"_ The Dark Knight barked.

The Joker grinned as his arch-nemesis lifted him to his feet. "Oh-ho _ho_ , wouldn't you like to know?"

"So help me, tell me where the bomb is or I will break _every bone in your body_." The Batman growled lowly.

"I- hehe- I _had_ it, Bats." The Joker managed to say between giggles.

The hero scowled and dropped the Clown Prince, pushing him against the wall. "Don't play games with me. Where. Is. _The bomb?!"_

The psychopath laughed and went limp, legs sliding till the Dark Knight was the only thing holding him up. "Batman, Batman, _Batman_... there was never actually a _bomb_!"

Batman backed up cautiously, hands waiting at the pouches of his belt.

"It wasn't a bomb- fireworks! Haha, it's... just... _fireworks_!" The Joker laughed out, sliding to a sitting position.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've gotta do everything yourself, don't we? And sometimes... you can simply... be multiple people to do that!"

The Batman narrowed his eyes. "Your plan. _Tell me_!"

"Don't worry, hehe, I came prepared. We're destined to do this... forever! But it's not about us, no no no! It's about the _people_ , the cruel, evil, maligned people."

"Your game is over, Joker. Now tell me. What. Are. You. _Planning_."

The madman cackled. "You- you think that people are good still. After all this time, you still have hope for Gotham. For the world! But that hope dies pretty quickly... when they get a good look at a broken hero."

Batman froze. "What are you planning?"

"Heh, all the heroic things done can just... wash away! You... didn't think I'd risk _losing_ just to have a meeting with you, did you?"

 _"What did you do."_

"Hahaha- I took one of your boy scouts, a little turncoat in training; and brought him back down to my level. It's not hard; he always had it in him. See, madness, as you know; is an emergency exit. You can step back in... but all it takes is a little torture and _whoosh_! You're right back out in the real world!"

The Batman's eyes slowly widened in realization.

The Joker giggled and craned his neck, popping it profusely. "No... _sometimes_ you just need an ace in the hole... mine's literal."

His giggling turned into a cackle as Batman turned away from the battered man, walking towards the window, police sires echoing in the background.

The Joker's laugh echoed in his mind even as he leapt into the night.

The Clown Prince's laughter subsided and he stared at of the window, into the darkness of the city. "Hehe... here... comes... _the fireworks_.


	14. Paradigm

**"The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies."**

 **-Anonymous**

 **Disclaimer: Imma cry… I don't own it… Except for my OCs… Except for Wolf…**

 _I meant it. Every last thing I said. I'll never go back to that,_ ha _. And to Hell with being a 'civilian' too._

* * *

 **-Titan Tower-**

"Robin..." Beast Boy said accusingly; he, Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire stood around their leader. Robin sat, head bowed. "What was that."

"I..." The former sidekick began, fumbling for words. "Guys-"

"No, Robin," Cyborg cut in. "Who. Is. He?"

The Gothamite bowed his head again, dark hair falling around his head. "Listen-"

"No! Robin, I'm not gonna ask again!" Cyborg said.

Robin was silent for a few moments. "About a year ago... a little over, I don't remember... someone found out the secret identities of every JL member. They... deemed him a threat and wiped his mind..."

Raven and Starfire stared at him, the former accusingly, the latter in confusion. Cyborg groaned and stepped away. "You did _not_."

"Cy, it's... it's the Jester, okay? He's- _was_ the Jester."

Beast Boy threw his hands up. "The friggin' Jester?! The friggin' protégé of the Joker?! Dude!"

"Robin, I do not understand." Star said quietly.

Robin stood up defensively. "No, none of you understand, okay?"

They went silent.

"When he... when he got wiped, I saw him. There was no Joker, no- no insanity. Just a scared kid. They took his memories, his very personality. They took him and just... factory defaulted him. I was ashamed _for_ them. I told him I was leaving and... and he must've followed me, must've remembered me from the time when he was a _captive_ of the most dangerous man in the world. I don't know what's happening, but he's... he might be relapsing and I can't see him go through that. I need your guys' help. If not as friends, then as heroes, because if he gets his memories back and decides that what he's done here wasn't worthwhile, then who knows what he'll do."

For a long moment, no one said anything.

"You're right." Beast Boy said quietly.

Starfire nodded in agreement. "He is our friend. And he needs our _help_."

"Alright, so what can we do?" Cyborg asked, crossing his arms.

* * *

Ace sat quietly, the fan hanging above his bed the only sound in the room. The blinds were pulled, casting the spacious area in an eerie, dark-blue tinge.

The anti-hero stared at the mirror across from him. His black hair hung around his head loosely, creating a frame for the pale, scarred face that stared back at him. Differently colored eyes searched his face, thoughtful.

His phone rang and his hand snatched out, looking at the caller ID. 732; Gotham County's area code.

He dropped the cell and let it ring, staring at it silently. It went to voicemail, though the caller didn't leave a message.

The room went silent again, save for the mechanical hum and whir of the fan.

"You know, it's not that hard. Just pick. Up. The. Phone." The Joker said, walking into Ace's line of sight.

The anti-hero shook, gritting his teeth tightly. "You're not real."

"Oh, of course I am! I'm as real as it gets, kid! Your head is my head- always has, always will!" The man broke out into laughter.

Ace looked to the psychopath. "You're not real, and you can't hurt me. I'm safe."

The Joker's smile faded into a vicious one. "Oh, I don't need to touch you to hurt you. _Trust me_." He winked and when Ace blinked, he was gone.

The phone rang again.

Ace turned to the phone, frowning. He whipped his head back to the mirror- and sucked in a breath.

The blue-painted walls of the room had been switched for yellowing, peeling wallpaper; the fan replaced by dim LED lights hanging above his head, the spacious room was now a stretching hallway, doors lining either side as white-yellow as the walls and tiled floor.

An almost animalistic scream echoed from deeper down the hall.

Ace blinked again and Arkham Asylum was gone.

He bolted from his bed, half jogging to the door. He didn't want to face the Titans, but he couldn't be in that room.

Not alone.

* * *

Ace leaned against the countertop, struggling to control his breath.

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real," He muttered to himself, like a mantra.

"Ace?"

The anti-hero jumped at his name, turning on his heel, hands fisted. Raven stared at him. He shivered slightly and tensed his body, trying to calm himself. He held his chin high in mock confidence, clenching his teeth together. "What."

"Are you alright?"

Ace turned back to the counter, staring out at the dark sky through the windows. "I'm fine."

"Ace-"

"I"M FINE!" He roared, slamming a fist into the countertop. She jumped in shock and all the fight left his body. "Just... just leave me alone."

She didn't do anything for a moment before the soft padder of her slippers told him she was gone.

 _"One gone,"_ A voice whispered in his ear. _"Four to go."_

* * *

Ace lay in his bed, blankets kicked off and onto the ground as he rolled restlessly.

"Come home, bud! There's nothing left for you here; just... shattered dreams and broken promises. Here, _you_ shatter the dreams and make the promises. Think about it. You. Know. You. Want. To."

The hero rolled onto his side and stilled, staring at the yellow communicator on his table, sitting idly.

"What are you here? A pawn? A little thing to be sacrificed? Come back, kiddo; and be a god! Be _me_."

Something clicked in his head and he bolted to his feet, mind whirring. He grabbed a backpack, throwing his phone, the communicator, and his bat into it. He bolted for the door; and walked straight into Cyborg's chest.

"Woah, woah, woah, dude, what's the hurry?" The taller teen asked before spying the backpack. "Uh... where ya going?"

Ace ran a hand through his hair. "I, uh... uh... I'm..."

"Ace. We're here for you. You don't have to run. We've got you." Cy said uncharacteristically softly.

"I'm not running."

"Yes. You are. Dude, we're not your enemies. We're not going to turn on you. We're your friends. We just need you to see that."

Ace went limp. "Yeah. Yeah, I get it. Sorry, just... I just can't think right now."

"Get some sleep, bro. We'll, uh, see you tomorrow and can figure this mess out."

Ace nodded and turned on his heel, walking back into the room.

* * *

Robin sat at his desk, hands buried in his hair in frustration, peering at the computer screen in front of him. _Recall, relapse, amnesia, returning memory, Alzheimer's, hypnosis, mind control_ \- nothing. He could find nothing that would help his friend-

 _"Titans."_

The voice came through his communicator, quiet, but a familiar sharp edge to it.

Robin snatched his communicator up, staring at it. "Ace?"

 _"Hey. This isn't easy, but I'm leaving. Don't come after me. Don't try to chase me. Where I'm going, you can't follow me. Shouldn't, at least. This isn't goodbye. I doubt it will be; for worse. I can... guarantee for worse. I'm sorry."_

The line went dead.

"Ace?" Robin asked again.

"Robin!" Cy yelled from the hallway. "Ace isn't in his room."

"Rooftop?"

"I don't think so- BB, go check it out."

"Right!"

Robin stared at his communicator, face dawning in horror. _Where I'm going you can't follow me. Shouldn't._

"I know where he's going." He said quietly. He bowed his head in pain- and defeat.

* * *

 **-Several Months Later; Legion of Supervillains HQ, Paris, France-**

"Victory is at hand," The Brain droned, the speaker to his small, mechanical body buzzing through the mouth of the designed skull beneath the glass dome that displayed his brain in a green liquid. "And for your part I give you… Robin." The collected crowd of villains cheered as Robin was pushed onto the main platform with the Brain, standing above the supervillains.

Behind the Brain and Robin was a wall filled top to bottom with blue cells, like a honeycomb. Inside every one- was a Titan, frozen in looks of horror and anger as they stared blankly at the scene, unmoving- unblinking.

"This isn't over." Robin growled.

"For you. It most certainly is." The Brain gloated back, pride in his voice.

As a sickly old man dressed in a white jumpsuit- Professor Chang- turned towards the lever preparing to freeze Robin, the crowd's cheering was interrupted by sharp whistling, cutting through the air.

Murmuring amongst themselves, the villains parted to let the stranger through.

The young man stepped up to the stage, looking up curiously at the leaders of the Legion, his dark hair falling to one side. He raised a white-painted eyebrow. "Really?" He asked, stuffing a hand in his pocket. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up, and a dark-gray vest, matching gray slacks and a gray tie.

The tall, skinny woman in red spandex, Madame Rouge's, eyes opened in recognition. "Wait, you are-" She said in a French accent before the newcomer interrupted her.

"I mean... really?" He asked boredly. "I leave for, what, a few months and it all goes to... shit?" He turned to the crowd behind him, jumping up to sit on the edge of the stage. "Seriously, how did these idiots manage to gather like this? Unprofessional lot of ya. I mean... you guys honestly think that you've actually done something. Sure, sure," He said dismissively, waving his hand. "The 'Titans Worldwide' thing's pretty intimidating, but I mean... you guys do know that you're only still around because you're flying under the radar, right? I mean, give the JL a call and you guys would get wiped out- it took you this long to capture teenagers? Honestly."

It was silence.

The teen sighed, combing his hair backwards. "Robin, seriously, hurry up and deal with these guys.

Robin seemed to be in shock. "A-"

Rouge suddenly laughed, cutting the hero off.

"How rude." The newcomer chided, frowning as he turned over his shoulder at the leaders.

"Do you think we fear you? You have no power here, _bouffon._ There is no master here to order us." She laughed again cruelly.

The teen sighed and turned back to the crowd of villains. "Honestly. So unprofessional. Seriously, where the hell is Victor already? I'm beginning to grow bored of this."

The Brain cut in for the first time. "Victor?" He droned. "Who is Victor?"

"Jesus Christ, I don't miss you people. Victor Stone... ring any bells? Okay, Cyborg?"

Almost immediately on queue there was a rumbling and a massive hole exploded from the floor. Cyborg leapt through, a gaggle of teens- _superheroes_ , following behind him. Beast Boy sprinted through the door at the back, another group of Titans following him.

"Booyah." Cyborg said lowly, raising his sonic cannon.

Madame Rouge, the gorilla, and the elderly man in the military uniform leapt off the stage, leaving the teen, Brain, and the Professor sitting alone. Robin leapt into the fray, as the heroes and villains clashed. Some of the heroes broke away from the fight, moving to the back of the platform to free their frozen comrades, bolstering the ranks of the Titans.

The young man sat on the edge, staring at the battle, thoughts whirring in his head. "Next time you try to kill someone, make sure they're dead."

"You have ruined us." The Brain droned.

The teen looked back at him. "Of course," He turned back to the battle. "This is just a stepping stone. You had no ambition, Brain. This shouldn't have been the endgame. It's my duty, in the grand scheme of things, to prolong the inevitable. It gets bigger, much bigger. If you only could see that, this wouldn't have happened. Still, it's not personal, sir. Just business."

The Brain was quiet as the heroes quickly trimmed down on the numerous villains, and Professor Chang, leaving the mastermind and the teenager sitting silently.

Robin huffed in exertion and turned his gaze to the stage, his heart stopping. The painted teen staring back at him shattered his heart.

He walked to the stage with resolution anyways.

" _Au revoir_ , Brain." The teen said, ignoring the sounds of the defeated villains being captured and frozen in the blue cells the heroes had occupied only a short time ago. Two of the teens pushed the Brain forwards towards the freezing device, sending him up the enormous wall to one of the cells at the top.

The teens mingled amongst themselves, celebrating and making proper introductions to one another.

Five stepped up to the stage, staring at the lone figure on it.

He said nothing as they approached, placing his hands on his knees and idly kicking his feet.

Starfire slowly floated up to his level, staring in concern at him. She reached a tentative hand to his face. "...Ace?"

The former Titan turned his head, avoiding her touch. He closed his eyes and shook his head, scarred cheeks visible underneath his white paint. "Not anymore."

"Jay," Robin said quietly. "What happened?"

The lone teen turned back to his former team and let out a quiet sigh as Starfire sadly dropped back to the ground. "I'm not Jay either."

Raven was quiet.

Beast Boy grinned. "Well, you really saved our butts. I don't know if we coulda did it without Robin. You picked a good time to come back."

Cy shared the grin. "Seriously, it looked for a moment like we were toast. I don't know if we would have made it in time without you to stall."

"Save... save the thank yous."

" _Jester_ ," Robin said, stepping forwards. "We need to-"

"There it is," The Jester interrupted quietly. He reached onto his neck and peeled off a thin membrane, like a Band-Aid. A small black dot sat in the middle of it. "I haven't been sitting at home, getting nice clothes and new face paint all this time, I'm sorry to say. I've been working, I guess is the terminology. I... I won't say I'm sorry. I'm not. You shoulda seen it coming. From the beginning. And... since you didn't- Hell, to phrase one of Lilith's bands; 'Listen up, listen up, there's a devil in the church, got a bullet in the chamber... this is gonna hurt.'"

Robin shied backwards to the support of his team, hand slowly snaking towards his belt. "What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

The Jester held the thin membrane close to his mouth. "The Jester," He said before throwing it to the side. He stood up on the stage and reached into his vest; and pulled out a pistol. "Nine millimeter. The last one I had left. I thought it was kind of fitting- old life, new life, old life. This circle we run," He held it steadily at Robin.

"Hey, Cy, remember that game? The one with the little robot... Borderlands, I think it was? You remember, the trailer? 'Unce, unce, doomsday.'"

There was a few moments of tenseness, the rest of the united Titans ignorant to the events at the front, before the room was filled with a cacophony of explosions, the metal walls of the underground base disappearing in fiery blasts as men in black charged into the former headquarters. More ran in from the entrance; others through the hole Cyborg created in the middle of the floor.

The Jester waved his gun. "You know, I planned this thing out better in my head. Gloating, monologuing, etc, etc, but I'm feeling pretty subdued at the moment. I don't want to kill you. I don't. You guys mean too much for that. But, in the grand scheme of things, we just can't spare any single hero possible. I understand that you're mad, confused, and all that; but please. Think of better times. Don't let me live with the fact you died in anger or fear."

"JJ, what the hell are you doing?!" Robin yelled.

"I told you. I'm not JJ. I'm not Jay. I'm not Ace, not the Ace of Spades; I'm the Jester. The figurative Clown Prince of Crime. It took me a long time, a lot of soul searching and consideration, to figure that out. We can't _run_ , Dick! It doesn't work like that. I'm sorry that you never figured that out."

Robin growled angrily. "The JL will stop you- _we_ will stop you. No one will remember this; remember whatever this _is_. No one will remember you as the Clown Prince of Crime."

The world seemed to stop for the Jester. Something clicked in his head, leaving just him and Robin; no Titans, no soldiers, no frozen supervillains.

"No?"

" _No_."

The Jester went silent, staring at his former teammate hard. "...Actually. You know what? Change of plans."

The world seemed to resume as Beast Boy frowned in anger and hurt. "What the hell does that mean?!"

"I'm not going to kill you. Honest."

Robin narrowed his eyes behind his mask. "What are you planning?"

The Jester walked to the side, jumping off the stage away from the Titans as he sauntered off. "Big things."

Robin scowled at the numerous guns pointed at him. "Where do you think you're going?"

The former Titan stopped and turned over his shoulder. "...To televise my revolution," He continued his march away. "We're leaving, men. Titans, in half an hour you may leave. If you try before that, I will blow this place to the ground. _Do not push me..._ It's... been an honor."

* * *

The Jester ascended the stairs, upwards and upwards, a contingent of the soldiers behind him, passing through an underground metro, a bus shooting noisily by, and upwards still, until the brisk air of Paris' night greeted him, the Eiffel Tower glowing like a beacon only a few hundred meters away.

He stepped from the stairs to the street nearby, ignoring the curious looks the Parisians were sending him, making his way towards a large black SUV with tinted windows. It clicked with the telltale sign of the doors unlocking and he jumped into the back.

"Sir." Charade greeted from the driver's seat on the right, face lacking in paint and his green dreads pulled in a ponytail behind him. He pulled off of the curb and into traffic, driving away from Paris' inner city and towards the countryside.

The Jester nodded. "Good to see you. Was the flight bad?"

"No sir."

The Titan turncoat nodded again, falling silent as he stared out at the passing shops, adjusting his vest. The lit up city reflected on the window as he lost himself in thought.

"Home?" Charade asked.

"Yes. I'd like to go now." The Jester replied quietly, not turning his mismatched eyes from the window.

* * *

 **-Several Hours Later-**

The Jester stepped off of the plane, looking up at the dusty warm orange of the city's dusk sky.

Charade walked up to him, shotgun in hand. "The runway's clear, sir."

The teen nodded. "Alright. Send one of the mercenaries to pick up the car. Have someone else dispose of the plane, please. Then, uh, sign the mercs' checks and send them home- or, kill them. I'll leave that to your discretion."

The bodyguard nodded, turning away without another word and signaling one of the black-clad mercenaries to come over to him.

The Jester took a seat on the bottom step of the plane, staring at the skyline.

He took a deep breath and then released it, feeling a weight momentarily disappear from his shoulders- before being replaced by a new, but familiar, oppressive feeling.

"Home sweet home," He whispered to himself, momentarily replacing Wayne Tower with Titan Tower in his head. "I missed you, Gotham."

* * *

 **A/N: Oh lawdy, a timely update? This has to be some kind of record. That said, meant to have this up yesterday. Internet got cut. Oh well.**

 **Feast your eyes, for they do not deceive you! The Jester has returned! Amen! Amen!**

 **Don't be mistaken though, this arc is far from over. The fat lady has not sung, and there are five heroes with a vendetta-**

 **And one villain with a master plan.**

 **-Fucking Pumped, Infernokota**


	15. Doomsday

" **This is a takeover; not an equalization of individuals."**

 **-Anonymous**

 _What? It was never about being smarter than everyone else… I just thought further ahead._

* * *

This… is how it begins.

This is where it all changed.

This is no longer the prologue, the intro, the background…

This is the beginning of the end.

 _This_ is my life.

* * *

 **-Metropolis, New Jersey-**

I walked forwards quietly, shoes clacking against the tile floor. I didn't bother trying to sneak; she'd hear me anyways.

I suppose I should back up.

* * *

" _Hello... 'Ace'," Slade Wilson said in a deep, smooth voice. "I've got a proposition for you."_

 _I stared quietly at the computer screen for an uncomfortably long period of time. "Talk." I finally managed to mutter._

" _Now, now," The assassin purred. "No need to be so vitriolic. We are professionals after all."_

" _Professional whats?"_

" _Killers, Jester. Killers… you don't look surprised."_

 _I chewed on my lip._

 _I wasn't._

" _I…"_

" _Last I had heard," He continued, undaunted. "You had lost your memories."_

" _And I got them back." I whispered. I didn't think Cyborg would religiously watch any security tapes- I wasn't even sure there was a camera in here, but… you can never be too careful._

" _Unexpected… but not unwelcome. So I assume that you can guess why I'm contacting you."_

 _I let a sneer cross my face. "I have a few guesses."_

" _And you're not interested?"_

 _I faltered._

 _Was I?_

 _The mercenary didn't say anything; single cold, dark eye studying me- studying the emotions on my face, more than likely._

" _I don't presume to know you, Jester," He continued on. "But I know the type of person you are."_

 _A flare of irritation momentarily masked my indecision. "And what type is that?"_

" _The type that craves. Power, success, influence;_ ambition _. I know your background, your mentors and employers- not every fifteen-year-old can have his records wiped from existence. I know that you have the_ ambition _to support your cravings… I also know that you're not a hero."_

 _Ouch. I winced- that actually had hurt. But…_

 _He had a point._

 _I stared at the door for what felt like eternity._

 _Five, I mentally counted down._

 _Four-_ I hopped out of the car, signaling the driver to drive off while Charade stepped up briskly next to me, towering over me.

 _Three-_ I stared at the Scarecrow, jaw clenched tightly shut as he pulled blood from my veins, pale eyes watching my reactions closely.

 _Two-_ I stared at the apartment building, bag slung over my shoulder. Forget her.

 _One-_ The Titans stared at me in horror, the crowd mirroring the expressions as blood dripped from my hands and onto the asphalt beneath me.

" _Alright," I said quietly. "What did you have in mind?"_

* * *

I winced and fingered the uncomfortable edge poking into my hip from my belt.

Could she sense it? Smell it? _See_ it? That seemed unlikely, but…

It didn't matter. Too late to turn back now.

* * *

 _I crept forward quietly, crouching low in the smoke._

 _Slade had completely conquered the city in extreme precision, effortlessly making the city his in a few short hours. No one was walking the streets, everything was covered in a thick gray fog, obscuring anything more than a few feet away._

 _One of Slade's robots leapt in front of me, white eyes staring blankly._

 _I tensed and stepped forwards._

" _Where's Slade?" I asked briskly, muscles still taut. The robot straightened up and turned, walking towards the end of the street. Murmuring, I followed it, baseball bat gripped firmly in my hand._

 _Leave it to Deathstroke to set a trap._

 _After an uncomfortably long time marching, the sounds of the Titans fighting in my ear piece- I had turned my communicator off- the Sladebot led me to a well-hidden sliding steel door. It froze for a moment as I caught up, then led me inside._

 _The cave was filled with painted glass, like a satanic monastery, lava pooling deep beneath the walkways. This must've led straight to the coast's mountain._

" _Jester." Slade's voice called out, echoing against the stone walls._

 _I relaxed slightly- if he was still setting a trap, at least he'd do it himself- but didn't release my bat, my free hand playing at the pins of the grenades inside my jacket. "Slade." I echoed back._

 _The assassin walked into view, steel boots thudding hard against the floor-_

 _It was my first time meeting the man, and he didn't disappoint. His body was covered in silver armor over a black jumpsuit, his mask half black and half scratched bronze- one cold eye stared back at me. The towering killer finally reached me, hands folded regally behind his back._

" _I see you didn't back out." He said appraisingly, deep voice rumbling._

 _I shrugged in false confidence. "Not how I was raised."_

 _Deathstroke didn't say anything for a few moments. "Not what I expected from you honestly, clown."_

 _I tensed visibly at the moniker, but didn't say anything. We were hardly equal opportunity partners._

" _The deal's been made," He continued on. "The contract's planted in your Tower. The company's been paid for and are waiting on your command. Hold up your end of the bargain… and we'll all walk away scot free."_

 _I frowned. "I think you've got my 'end of the bargain' covered."_

" _No."_

" _No?"_

" _Terra's weak. She's going to fail me; I can almost guarantee it. If she does- you are my Plan B. If she doesn't, well… I'd better not see you with the Titans again."_

 _The threat left a stinging silence in the monastery, and I had no way to respond. So, I simply extended my hand without a word._

 _Slade took it._

* * *

I reached into my belt and tapped my fingers against the shard. Hard to find; harder to use.

I sent a nervous look around the polished interior of the building, peach colored walls trimmed with a dark orange spit-shined brightly on either side of me.

I felt like I was being crushed, pressure pounding in on me.

Heh. Crushing would come later, if at all.

* * *

What was going on? _I wondered._

 _The thought brought less comfort than it should have. The thought reminded me of painful questions I'd been asking myself my whole life._

 _I leaned against the sink, eyes screwed tightly shut. "Nonononono." I muttered to myself repeatedly. "This isn't how it's supposed to go, this wasn't how I wanted to do it."_

 _I lifted my head up and stared into the mirror. My pale face stared back at me, scars reaching across my cheeks. I'd smeared the blood of the beaten man across my face, painting my lips a deep crimson red. Not drawing my eyes from the reflection, I turned the sink on and splashed water onto my face, watching the blood wash off._

 _Was this what I truly was? Nothing more than- than_ him _?_

 _Was that why he'd been following? A phantom, hissing dark, twisted words in my ear my whole life?_

 _Did God really make me an extension of him?_

 _The idea was unsettling- especially if there_ was _no God._

 _I turned to stalk into the living room, mind racing with unchecked emotions._

 _Perhaps I was this way for a reason._

 _Maybe… Deathstroke's death had happened when it happened for a reason. Maybe this was how I was supposed to do it._

 _Fall back into the rabbit hole._

* * *

I could hear talking now; a light, lilting voice prattling on about something- I couldn't make out the words.

I turned the corner, and spied the blonde girl sitting at the counter; she couldn't have been maybe a few years older than me; 20, give or take. She looked up from her phone conversation curiously, bright blue eyes peering into my own mirrored orbs.

I subtly gripped the shard in my belt.

* * *

 _I shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to itch at the thin piece of plastic holding the microphone to my neck._

 _Wait for your opportunity, I chided myself, ignoring the dead bodies of the guards laying around me._

 _All of the so-called villains had been called to the large auditorium for the public- Hell, it wasn't even an execution, truly, just a capture- of Robin and the other Titans West members._

 _I'd been following both the Titans Worldwide and Society of Super Villains' movements for months now; this was probably my best chance. Only chance, honestly. It was too late to back down now._

 _I clenched and unclenched my fists tightly, nerves alight as I bided my time- wait for your opportunity._

 _As the Brain- the ingenious, short-sighted leader of the Society- prattled on about how this plan had been long in the making and overdue-_

 _Ha-_

 _Anyway, as he spoke endless platitudes, I grabbed the pistol hidden well in my vest and routinely checked it. Pop the clip, reinsert the clip, pull the hammer. Repeat._

 _"For you. It most certainly is." The Brain gloated in the distance, and I felt the crowd boil to their most anxious point._

 _I sighed._ Showtime _._

 _I began clapping._

* * *

"Please hold," The girl said, clicking a button on her phone as I reached the counter. "How may I help you?"

Time slowed as I weighed my options; I couldn't simply rip out the shard and stab her; she'd be too quick, plus the guard in the corner might have been feeling frisky that day.

Lovely thought; a year of thought and planning ruined by one anxious, underpaid, glorified mall cop.

So; stall until the right opportunity presented itself.

I smiled, hoping the latex didn't stretch unnaturally. "Hi, Ms.… Danvers?"

The girl's smile brightened. "That's me."

I held her eye, bringing my free hand up to rest on the countertop, waving it as I spoke. "Is there any chance I could arrange a meeting today?"

"Aren't you… young to be dealing with Ms. Grant?" She said, smiling bashfully.

"You're not much older yourself."

Her eyes gained a slight steely look to them. "Yeah?"

I mentally hissed at myself. "I mean, you don't look a day past your eighteenth birthday." I backtracked.

Her _look_ faded slightly. "Oh- well, thank you. Um, okay, I'm sorry, but Ms. Grant-"

I didn't let her finish.

* * *

 _I stood outside the building, clenching and unclenching my gloved hands nervously. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out._

 _Why was I so afraid?_

 _Course… why_ wouldn't _I be?_

 _The thought sent chills running over my skin and I focused on breathing again. In. Out. In. Out._

 _Did I knock? What would happen if I didn't? I'd meet him on my own terms, instead of whenever someone opened the door. Of course, there was a fair chance that someone would simply shoot me the moment I stepped in unannounced._

 _God, I hoped Charade hadn't said anything. He'd returned, I thought. I hoped._

 _Don't knock, I decided, wiping a thin layer of sweat from my forehead. No fear._

 _I opened the door quickly and swept in, suit jacket trailing behind me slightly._

 _The room was dead silent- not for lack of company._

 _But for awe; the men that had more than likely been rushing to and fro had frozen in their steps, wide eyes glued to me._

 _I inwardly giggled in satisfaction._

" _No slack-" Someone began barking before silencing himself as well. Charade recovered quickly, though his brown eyes gave me a slight irritated look. He more than likely wanted forewarning. Oh well. "Jester." He greeted, body language relaxed. Oh goody. He was ready._

 _At least one of us was._

 _I swallowed hard, praying my face paint hadn't faded._

 _Charade turned and briskly walked off, boots thudding against the steel floor. There was a loud 'BANG' in the background and my heart stopped for a minute._

 _Then Charade came back out of the hallway, what was visible of his face twisted in silent anger._

 _I saw why._

 _He walked out from behind Charade, long legs making purposeful strides, suit gleaming darkly in the dying afternoon light, dress shoes clacking against the steel floor. A soft padding heralded the person behind him, spandex shining brighter than the man's own dirty cloth did._

 _The Joker and I stared at each other._

 _No one made a sound._

 _Harley's blue eyes stared at me in confusion and disbelief for a few moments before slowly brightening, white painted face stretching into an ecstatic grin._

 _It, however, didn't match the manic smile on the Joker's face._

 _His eyes were dark with satisfaction and intelligence-_ my god _, were those eyes more intelligent than I had ever remembered them- and his red painted grin widened._

 _He'd had a thought._

" _Welcome home, kiddo." My mentor said brightly._

* * *

Her eyes snapped to my free hand as I literally snapped my fingers, and my other hand shot from my belt, glowing green shard burying itself into Kara's side. She let out a shocked and pained scream, making the already nervous security guard jump in surprise.

My freehand shot into my vest and immediately shot back out, gleaming silver pistol shining in the light as I fired twice, ripping through the guard's black shirt, sending the man crashing into the wall and sliding down, red smear following his path.

Before Supergirl had a chance to react, I grabbed the back of her head, tangling my fingers in her short cut hair, and slammed her forehead into the countertop. Once. Twice. Thrice. She went limp.

30 seconds, I reminded myself. She wasn't supposed to scream. Oh well. Too late to back out now.

30 seconds, that's all the distraction would buy me before he came.

30 seconds.

I reached over the counter and pulled Kara bodily over the top, clutching her in my arms as I beelined towards the exit.

20 seconds.

I reached the door and kicked it open with my foot, eyes not daring to drag themselves from the black SUV sitting on the curb lest it disappear at the last moment. I opened the back door and threw her in, along with the Kryptonite shard.

10 seconds.

I leapt over the hood and climbed into the passenger seat. The mercenary stepped onto the pedal before I'd even closed the door, and pulled into traffic.

Five seconds.

I never drew my eyes from the rearview mirror, even as we pulled further and further away from the skyscraper.

 _0 seconds?_

I waited with bated breath-

Then a blue blur shot into the building and my teeth clenched. I'd had a few extra seconds to spare, surprisingly.

Still, we weren't out of the woods.

But I didn't expect Superman to find us, as we melted into the busy, filled streets of Metropolis, cars honking and people shouting.

I checked my stopwatch.

65 seconds. That's all it had taken.

* * *

 _I stared at him pleadingly. "I can do it."_

 _Scarecrow stared thoughtfully, not deigning to answer right away._

 _I swallowed hard. "I- I know I messed up, the last time. I get it- I know. I- I got too far in," I said quickly, stumbling over my words as they simply spilled out. "I underestimated them, I get that,_ I get that. _But I can do it this time. I can do it. I know I can. I- I- they were above my level, I boxed above my weight, I know, but_ I can do it. _I_ need _to do it."_

 _The doctor stared at me, brown eyes studying my face through his glasses. "What makes you think that? No, first- why do you need to?"_

 _I swallowed, recognizing the trap immediately._

" _Don't hesitate; I know you have an answer."_

" _Because I have to."_

 _He raised a thin eyebrow, not impressed._

" _I- I can't help it, it's- it's like a tick, burrowed into my brain- I know I can do it this time. I've thought ahead, I've made contingencies, I- I-"_

" _You what?"_

 _I calmed myself, staring at the doctor with the most steadfast look I could manage. "I figured out how to beat them."_

 _A rare chuckle spilled from the spindly psychopath's lips, absolutely mirthless. "Before any of_ us _did?"_

" _Kryptonian."_

 _That made Crane freeze. "What?"_

" _Kryptonian. I have access to Kryptonian DNA. That's my weapon."_

 _Now the Scarecrow's condescending stare faded into a legitimately curious one. "Ignoring the how- what, exactly, do you intend with this… DNA?"_

 _This was the pitch._

 _I swallowed hard._

 _Counted down from five, as Crane raised his eyebrow again._

 _Breath out._

" _L…Slade Wilson, before he died, offered me a contract. That… contract gave me access to… some of LexCorp's peace agents."_

 _The doctor's other eyebrow rose to match the first._

" _So I have Lex Luthor. And he knows genetic splicing, cloning-_ DNA. _"_

 _Crane was silent- silently allowing me to continue?_

 _I did so anyway. "I assume you understand what I'm saying?"_

 _The Scarecrow's look of shock faded back into disciplined calm. "I believe I may. Very well. You have my help, Jester."_

* * *

 **-Washington, DC-**

I walked forwards, purpose in my steps, despite the pain racking my body. My forearm ached, even as I dragged the black suit clad man behind me. As I reached the door, the agents on either side made to protest my presence, before taking in my appearance, then immediately drawing their guns.

And then I shot them.

Duel lasers shot from my eyes, carving through one's chest before dragging across the heavy wooden door to impale the other, leaving a trail of angry red marks in the walls and their suits. I dropped the man I was holding to the ground, imagining my eyes fading from brilliant red to their mismatched blue and green.

All things considered, this was actually pretty good practice.

And a painful reminder of the price I was paying as my body screamed in protest with each step I took, dress shoes clacking against the floor. I had lost my jacket long ago, leaving bullet ridden vest, tie, and pants.

Reaching the double door, I lifted one foot and kicked it open hard, sending the frames splintering into wood.

The president stood behind his desk, a gun raised steadfastly. He didn't think I noticed the slight way his jaw trembled. I did. I noticed a lot more now- like the sound of his heart beating unnaturally fast, the clicking of the gun's parts as his hands shook it ever so slightly-

The sound of a chopper landing somewhere outside the White House. I focused hard and tried my damnedest to block that out- I was getting better at that.

I raised my gloved hands. "Easy, Clellan. I'm not going to hurt you."

He shrugged in false calm, breaths coming faster and faster as he fought down panic. "You'll excuse me if I don't believe you?"  
I stared at him before lowering my hands- beginning to clap quickly, in arrangements of two.

He frowned in confusion.

"This may be my favorite part of all… this; the sound of a panicked human heart. Ba-da-ba-da-ba-da-ba-da," I began stepping towards him, letting my heat beams warm up, just enough to feel the energy coursing behind my eyes, and to see the panic in his own blue orbs. "I can almost dance to it…"

I trailed off.

Hm. Shit.

I forced my own panic to quell. "Now, _yours_ …" I slowly turned, my claps slowing down. _Ba-da, ba-da, ba-da, ba-da._ "Slow. Painfully slow, almost."

I finished my half turn and stared the Batman down. His blue eyes hardened at the sight of me.

"Jester." He growled… without surprise?

"Did the Joker ruin the surprise?" I asked curiously. "I'll admit, I'd hoped to keep you in the dark a fair bit longer."

"It was you who took Supergirl," Wayne continued on. "You've been the one-"

"The one who took down the Legion of Superheroes, killed Slade Wilson, cowed the Titans, kidnapped Kara, yes, yes. What did you expect? You let an amnesiac _psychopath-_ " even I winced internally at that. "Loose, and hoped the world would forget about him… and vice versa."

"I'd hoped that Robin could help you!"

"Even worse! You knew that I was still alive! But you- you and your goddamned faith," I felt my rage begin to grow, eyes heating up with beams again. "You decided that I could be redeemed! I can't! I never could, not before the last attempt, not after it, never! You and your goddamned faith- do you know how many people are going to die because of you?! DO YOU?"

He seemed caught off guard by the unnaturally loud roar I'd let loose.

I shut my eyes tightly. Breathe. Count down. Breathe. "No. You don't. You honestly, honestly don't. Sorry, Bruce. I can't help it. Besides-" I shot over to him, grabbing him by the neck and hefting him into the air, floating slightly as I did. "Not much either of us can do about it now."

I turned to the president and fired my heat beams.

* * *

 **-New York City, New York-**

I turned around in the United Nations building, heat beams razing the wooden stands stacked row upon row. Whatever wasn't torn to shreds from the attack began catching fire, the building slowly being encapsuled in flames. Satisfied, I shot upwards, through the ceiling, to stare down at New York City. Yellow gas filled the streets, screams echoing around the city.

Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pulled out the checklist-

 _Superman √._

 _Hall of Justice √._

 _Batman-_ That was scratched out.

 _Gotham √._

 _British Isles?_ _√._

 _NYC √._

I checked off the last piece. Scarecrow had been particularly adamant about being given free rein in the city, and hey- I was so far gone, who was I to say no?

I turned my thoughts to Atlantis. King Arthur had been steadfast in keeping his kingdom safe. Still, I had Waylon down there with a message for David Hyde. By the time I'd get around to the underwater cities, I didn't expect much resistance.

That sounded far too clinical.

That sounded terrifying.

I stared at the city, an ear-piercing- for me at least- scream cutting through the air, fire crackling in a raging bonfire beneath me.

Oh well.

Too late to turn back now.

* * *

 _I let out a laugh as Beast Boy finished his routine, hand-standing on the coffee table._

 _Raven managed a smirk, though she hid it quickly. "You're in the way," She said in a low tone._

" _You don' even watch TV." Beast Boy teased, not moving an inch._

 _Cyborg chuckled. "Aight, BB, very funny, very funny. Now get out of the way so I can start the movie again._

 _The shapeshifter pushed off the table, flipping to land on the couch, sitting between myself and Robin._

 _Robin shook his head, an amused smile on his face, but didn't say anything._

" _Hey," I interrupted as Cy went to start the movie again. I grabbed my drink. "Cheers."_

" _What for?" Starfire asked curiously._

 _I thought about it for a moment. "To Terra. To us." I raised it and the others grabbed their own drinks, clinking their cups to mine- Raven even levitated her tea to join the toast._

" _To Terra!" They said in a smattering of respectful yells._

" _Hey," I said with a smile. "To the Titans."_


	16. Year One

" _ **I made a promise for a change, a revolution in the night; like a flower, dark and blooming from my love, not light. I won't let them interfere, I won't allow them in my way; the world will know, the night will grow, it all begins today."**_

 **-Jonathan Young,** _ **The World**_

 _I_ _gave it all away. Because I_ could _. That isn't power anyone should have._

* * *

I sat, floating above the atmosphere, my legs curled into my chest, as I stared at the blue orb of Earth. I felt the warmth of the sun on my back and almost leaned into its rays. But I didn't.

I just stared at my planet, feeling utterly alone.

I wasn't crying. I wasn't. I didn't even know if I could cry anymore. Supergirl cried.

I remember that. Clearly.

And again… I was utterly alone. I knew that, honestly, I could focus and listen in and hear anyplace on Earth that I wanted. That was how Superman does it-

Did it. How Superman did it-

But… I didn't. Some broken, dejected part of me wanted to be alone, I guess. Apparently enough so to leave me up there.

"JESTER!" The voice yelled, clear as day even though I knew it was thousands of miles away. Uncurling, I sighed and shot like a bullet, breaking through the sound barrier with a dull 'whump', ignoring the biting cold and blistering heat of the atmosphere, before I soared back into view of Gotham City, dark buildings lit up brightly in the afternoon sun. I didn't need to track down the voice. I knew it like the back of my hand.

And I knew where it would be.

I slowed to a stop just inside the gate of the courtyard, dress shoes tapping along the cobblestone path as I made my way towards the main entrance.

As always, I slowed to a stop just outside the massive duel doors, trepidation shooting through me. As always, I swallowed my fear and stepped into Arkham Asylum feeling the dying yellow lights hanging loosely above me. If I wasn't thinking about it, I felt a lot of things more vividly. It took some practice, but I was learning to be able to block them out.

I'm rambling.

The Asylum was a far cry from the last time I'd been a patient there before… that's not the point. The point is, it was falling apart. Arkham had never been in fantastic shape even before the Takeover, but now it was just a sad, dejected husk of a building.

Was I projecting onto a building?

I grit my teeth together and stared hard forwards as I wound my way through the asylum's discolored halls. I wasn't depressed. I wasn't ashamed. I did what I had to do.

That was it.

I wouldn't get much longer to dwell anyways.

"Kid!" The Joker yelled hopping off of his makeshift throne, sliding down the pile of ruined mannequins to the tile floor. "Ya never come through the skylight."

"What do you want?" I asked tensely. I had better places to be than this hellhole.

The manic look in his green eyes transformed slightly, a hard _glint_ possessing them. "Aw come on, bucko! Haven't ya got time for your-"

"What do you want?"

I was pushing him. I knew it. It felt good. I knew he had Kryptonite somewhere, I knew that he would use it in a heartbeat. I'd been beyond caring.

He hummed thoughtfully. "I've got one, eensie-weensie- _teensie_ wittle problem. He leaned down to my height, red lips pulled into a thoughtful grin. He stopped, his nose just a few centimeters from my own. "WHY IS THE BAT STILL ALIVE?!" He roared.

I let my miscolored eyes heat up in challenge, relishing them reflecting on his own. "He's not."

"Ohohoho, then where's the body?"

I… didn't have an answer to that.

The Joker's smile widened in satisfaction and he turned back towards his throne, skipping away from me.

"Br- The Batman's not a problem." I called after him, getting him to turn. "I made sure of that a long time ago."

The Clown narrowed his eyes. "And his little wonder boy?"

"Dealt with."

"Then why are they still beating up _my guys_ in _my city_?"

I shrugged. "Revolutionaries maybe? I'll have someone look into it. It's probably nothing. Someone using the Bat to…" I trailed off as a thought occurred. A cruel smile crossed my own, unpainted lips. "Are you scared?"

His smile twisted into a scowl. "Don't you have some little _friends_ to attend to?"

"Or are you bored?"

His smile returned, though unnaturally- even for him- wide. "It's like you _get_ me."

My smile never faded, even as I turned and flew upwards, out of the aforementioned hole he called a skylight in the ceiling.

That did beg some questions though. The Titans were still scattered, I'd made damn sure of that. Some were dead, probably, some were still running. Batman was… dealt with.

If someone was doing Batman things in Gotham…

Why would Robin come back here? Hm.

I stilled in the air and fished through my jacket, pulling out my 'appropriated' phone. I hit a number for speed dial and raised it to my ear.

" _Sir._ " Charade's voice came through after a few rings.

"You around?"

" _Gotham?_ "

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Gotham."

" _Yessir. What do you need?_ "

"Someone's been doing some vigilantism. Snoop around for a bit, figure it out."

" _Yessir. Anything else?_ "

I thought about it for a few moments. "…Keep an... eye on Joker."

" _Sir?_ "

"Just… a hunch. Things are settling down too much."

" _Noted, sir. Are you flying h-_ "

"Don't say home."

" _Back. Are you flying back?_ "

"Yeah. You'll know where I'll be. Bye." I hung up the phone and dashed away.

It didn't take long to reach my destination. A small, humorous part of me wondered how much the Kryptonians saved on air travel. The rest of me reminded that part that it didn't matter.

I shook my head and landed on the roof, making my way towards the roof exit. Or, entrance, mostly, now. Gah.

A short walk took me to the living room and I froze for a few moments; as I always did. I almost- _almost-_ remembered what it had _been_ like, before brutally ending that line of thought. Feelings were better bottled up and forgotten. They just got in the way, I had learned.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, as I always did, I walked over to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of tea from that morning, cold now. Walking over to the couch, I sat down.

Wait. I was forgetting something. Oh, right. That. "Probably should before I forget." I muttered, grabbing the small black box off of the table- it was just a table now, huh?- and pulled it to my face.

"October 4th…" I recited before trailing off.

That was why the Joker had been so upset.

It had been one year. I clicked the button to stop it from recording anything else, and sat back in the chair, eyes wide.

One year. Huh.

That was… trippy.

I reached over and tapped something into the console on the table, bringing an image up onto the large TV hanging in front of the large window. A file was opened, and dozens of recordings filled it, all labelled with a date.

And lo and behold.

358 entries, counting that shit in Paris.

One year. Huh.

That was… frightening.

That would explain the vigilantes in Gotham. One year? Easy enough to remember. I didn't exactly start with a _whimper_.

So… could that mean Robin?

He was trained by the Batman. He knew how much fear tactics worked as anyone did. It would totally throw me off if revolts started up again right after the one year anniversary of the Takeover.

I'd have to confer with Crane- but… October was his month. He was Scarecrow more often than not right now. Something something, obsessive compulsive. Mental illness was not my forte. Genetics, yes. Not whatever this was.

I was convincing myself more and more that Robin was playing with me.

I was throwing myself off more and more.

I needed to go think. Rushing to the exit, I didn't stop running until fresh air hit my face, and then I soared into the sky with a dull 'whump' of speed, leaving the T shaped tower disappearing into the background.

And, in hindsight- completely unprotected.

* * *

" _October 4_ _th_ _. Got Supergirl. Started amassing an alliance with the worldwide. Crane's onboard. I'll get to Mi- Joker eventually. I got some of the mercenary Gothamites too. Somewhat mad that I didn't get the Brain. Oh well, things happen. I'll update as I go."_

" _October 5t_ _h_ _. Got the Joker and Harley. They're ecstatic. I'm… I'm not. I need to go think."_

 _"October 7th. Finished the process today. I'm in pain. A lot. This is hard to do. But... is this what Superman feels like? I would've taken over everything long ago if I was him. This is a god's power."_

" _October 8_ _th_ _. It started today. That sounded melodramatic. I killed the President. Dealt with Batman. Not much else to say. I'm still shellshocked I think."_

" _October 18_ _th_ _. Ten days. Remaining news outlets are calling it the 'Hostile Takeover' I'm fine with that. Not very subtle nor flowery, but I'm okay with it. Africa's gone dark, I think, ironically enough. You'd be surprised how simple it would be to plunge that place into chaos. Supposedly, SA is still holding out. I'll go check tomorrow… hold on."_

" _October 18_ _th_ _continued. Few heroes were outside. They're dead. Threw them into the sea. First heroes I've killed. It… doesn't feel as good as I thought it would. Bah. Weakness."_

" _October 21_ _st_ _. Burned the UN building today. No need for it, 'sides, the New Yorkers'll be shook up seeing it burn down. A sign of civility, unity, etc etc. Broken beneath me. By me. It's… surprisingly exhilarating."_

" _November 8_ _th_ _. One month. Manta got back to me after I recorded yesterday. He's onboard. I'll get some others who can thrive underwater and we'll go take Atlantis. Themyscira and Kahndaq are still outside my reach. We'll see what happens."_

" _November 8_ _th_ _. Campaign on Atlantis is finished. A little… thrown off. First time an entire population tried to fight me. Just gonna… mention it. They deserve that much respect. Gah. Gotta go."_

" _November 9_ _th_ _. Forgot to mention; Had Arthur Curry, AKA King of Atlantis, AKA Aquaman in my hands. Was about to kill him when Manta stopped me. Said he wanted him alive. I was… pissed. I should apologize for almost drowning him. Be right back."_

" _November 20_ _th_ _. Decided to move into Titans Tower. Feels… like the most evil thing I've done. Like I've spoiled the sanctity of it. Still, haven't left. Closest place to home I've ever felt… reminds me, gotta look into that tomorrow. Also, first snow in the Midwest. I'm gonna keep an eye out for more revolts. Happened in the Far East. We'll see."_

 _"November 24th. Good news from Africa, finally; Teth Adam's on board. Er, Black Adam I guess. Doesn't really like me, but was willing to ally as long as I didn't search for Kahndaq and he got control of the continent. Fine by me. South Africa's been a bitch thus far anyways. Still no news on the Amazons yet. Not even gonna bother with Circe."_

" _December 1_ _st_ _. Christmas season. I'm getting a little… uneasy. Need to take a vacation. Ha. That was a joke… I shouldn't be allowed to joke, should I? Joker's certainly joking. He loves Christmas. I'm gonna need to avoid Gotham for a bit."_

" _December 20_ _th_ _. Five days till Christmas and Luthor betrays me?! He had the fucking gall?! Piece of fucking shit- godda-"_

" _December 20_ _th_ _continued. Okay. Okay. I'm calm. Ahem. Luthor turned on me. Probably has been waiting to for a while. Piece of… agh. Thought I wouldn't notice too, cocky bastard. He's probably wanting to incite a Christmas rebellion, foster spirits and morale a bit. Yeah… you do that, Lex. I'll see ya Thursday."_

" _December 25_ _th_ _. Burned Washington to the ground and filmed it. It was broadcasted- forgot to mention, kept television stations up and running. No need to rob people of their TV. No sponsors or anything, but also no need for money in that area. Beginning to realize that anarchy's setting in. Carve up the world and it'll do that. Ahem. Sorry. Burned the Capital to the ground and broadcasted it across the world._

 _How's that for your morale?"_

" _January 1_ _st_ _. Starting to feel something. Guilt? Grief? I don't know. It's New Years. Made a resolution; try to restore order. Life is nothing without society, and society is nothing without order. I'm not giving the world up. I've come too far, lost too much of myself to give it up now. But I miss… nevermind. Happy New Years."_

 _"January 20th. News on the Amazon front. Wasn't actually allowed on Themyscira, but good news still. Met with the Queen- beautiful lady, by the way- and we made a treatise I guess. I don't fuck with her, she won't fuck with me. Probably comes from the fact that they can't prove I killed Wonder Woman, and I can't either. No bad blood. I agreed. No need for them. Less blood on my hands."_

" _February 14_ _th_ _. Valentine's Day. Holidays still have meaning and this one hurts. Didn't find Lilith. Honestly didn't know what I would do if I did. Kidnap her? Force her to be with me? Sex slave? The thought makes me retch in disgust- disgust of the thought, not of her- I still have a conscience. That's less comforting than it should be."_

" _February 14_ _th_ _continued. Paris set up a 'free republic', probably used the French Revolution as a propaganda thing for motivation or whatnot. I'm not afraid of a revolution. I'm freaking the fuck out over the fact that the Society are still there. I can't deal with them right now. I'm gonna have to go check on that."_

" _February 21_ _st_ _. Subways and Metro got collapsed when I got there. They thought I was there for them. Ha. I'll deal with them on my own time. No, all it did was make it take a goddamn week to get to the cells and… they're gone. The Brain especially. I don't know what to do. Put the guys running West Europe on alert. We've come too far now."_

" _April 6_ _th_ _. Dealt with… a hero. Not just 'a hero' but 'a Justice League hero'. Captain Atom. He ended up fucking evaporating the Indian Ocean. I_ think _he's dead, but so are all those guys. I had… I don't even remember who was in India. But I digress. It was a reminder of who exactly I'm dealing it. I don't think I'll ever forget."_

" _April 30_ _th_ _. Lost control in Gotham. Joker got… bored, I think. The lunatics who stayed behind went absolutely haywire. Half the city's burning, dozens are dead. I killed a lot of them. Left Croc and Zsasz alive. Croc did good by me with the Atlantis thing, and honestly, he's not doing much other than relaxing in the sewers. I think he's going south to the Bayou. I don't know. I hope he finds peace. Zsasz on the other hand is a worthless waste of space, but… it's nice to have someone like him every now and then."_

" _April 30_ _th_ _continued. Have… have I turned into some… chessmaster? Have I become that detached? I need to go talk to Quinn."_

" _May 8_ _th_ _. Things cooled down back East. I'm… I'm tired."_

" _May 9_ _th_ _. I should expand on that. I'm physically tired, and mentally destroyed. I've been zooming about the planet for months now, trying to keep everything nice and… conquered I suppose. Then trying to set everything back up, it's… city states I decided were the best option. I... I haven't been getting a lot of sleep. Nothing past three hours in a week now. And counting."_

" _May 9_ _th_ _continued. It's three in the morning. I'm almost drunk. I just- I just want to say that- that I think I can- SHUT UP- I can set everything up better with city states. I- I SAID SHUT UP- I dunno if that's just… just for, uh, for everything after…"_

" _May 10_ _th_ _. Everything after? What?"_

" _May 10_ _th_ _continued. I need to talk to Crane, or Quinn, or- or fucking somebody. I think I'm falling apart."_

" _July 4_ _th_ _...Happy birthday, America."_

" _July… July 7_ _th_ _. I can barely muster the energy to do this one today. Haven't even bothered eating or turning the lights on. Not even on the couch right now, so I'll be quick. Y'know… I remember this time last year. I went to a…fair with the Titans. We left this very tower. Walked down Myon Street- I can see it from here. Stopped by an arcade. Went down to the pier down the coast. Then I smashed someone's face in. I guess that's how this… all started. Just… alright. I'm done."_

" _July 7_ _th_ _continued. I miss it."_

" _July 7_ _th_ _continued. I miss them."_

" _July 7_ _th_ _con…continued. *Distant sobbing*_ Fuck _. Happy birthday."_

" _July 10_ _th_ _. Finally left the Tower today. I'm feeling better. Destroyed the bridge to the mainland, I don't need it, and it feels like a safety hazard. Harder to swim here than walk here."_

" _July 10_ _th_ _continued. Ha! Burnt that bridge. Fuckin' funny."_

" _July 24th. Figured out what happened to the Society, and thank God. They're… more incompetent than I had expected. Brain's brilliant, but how do you keep a bunch of criminals from taking advantage of total anarchy. He wasn't able to keep them together long enough to put together a piss worthy fighting force. He's still alive, probably in some bunker. The Russian lady, the immortal guy, and the ape? Not so much. Had fun curbstomping them. No one'll miss them."_

" _July 24th continued. Actually kinda miss curbstomping crappy people."_

" _August 1_ _st_ _. Lilith's birthday's today. I don't even know how I remember that- it's been, what…two years? Ish? Hm. Happy birthday, Lil."_

" _August 1_ _st_ _continued. On second thought, fuck you Corbin. You didn't do shit for me. I hate you. I hate you."_

" _September 18_ _th_ _. Lost track of Super…man… shit. This is bad. I'll find him. I know it."_

" _September 23_ _rd_ _. Finally occurring to me how long it's been since I've seen the Titans. I dealt with the League, I know that, but… never actually dealt with them. Should've when I had the chance. Before all...this."_

" _September 23_ _rd_ _continued. Haven't found Superman yet. Bats is still out, but if Clark's not shown up yet, he's planning and waiting, which is really bad. I guess… he can't be found if he doesn't want to be. We'll… fuck, we'll cross the bridge when we get there I guess. Shit."_

" _September 24_ _th_ _. Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. One of my guys in Coast City saw a green animal. Think you're slick, huh, Titans? Can't run from God forever."_

" _Guess who I met today? You wouldn't fucking believe it; you- you wouldn't- hahaha- oh, that's good. It was Booster fucking Gold. Beat the shit out of him. Was a riot. Didn't kill him though, thought that would be some bad time travel shit. Sorry, kid, your arms are just too short to box with God."_

" _Oh, September 29_ _th_ _. Sorry, was just- haha- that's still- I'm still laughing. That's priceless. Oh, sorry. Soaking it all in. Goddamn best I've felt in months."_

" _October 1_ _st_ _. Crane's month again. He got me to give him a ride to Spain. He's doing a little Tour de Europe. Wanted to 'explore the Old World's fears'. I didn't feel like arguing. We've all done our shitty things after all… some... more than others."_

" _October 4_ _th_ _… huh."_

* * *

The figure stopped the last entry and stared out at the dark sky. He'd been tracking the Jester for weeks. The Clown wouldn't be back for a day or two, too busy running around- or flying around was more appropriate. He stared at the TV for a few moments not able to force himself to move. After what felt like eternity for him, the sound of metal-on-metal heralded the return of his partner.

"You got what we need?" His comrade said uneasily, glowing calmly as he stared around.

"Yeah. _All_ I needed. We've got him."

Robin turned to Cyborg, a grim smile plastered on his face. "I know how to beat him."


	17. How the Mighty Fall

" **And loss of control is always the source of fear. It is also, however, always the source of change."**

 **\- James Frey**

 _Call it whatever you want; hubris. Ego. Arrogance. It's all the same. Just a façade to mask the fact that you lost control of yourself, of everything, a long time ago. Trust me on this one._

* * *

Harley leaned backwards, out of my face, sighing. "Sounds like ya sufferin' from guilt, hon."

I frowned. "Guilty?"

"That or acute depression. Or acute gastrointestinal disorder. I dunno. Is there… any reason… you'd be feelin' guilty?"

I didn't answer.

"JJ, do you… do ya wanna talk about what happened after ya left the Professah?"

After I left the Professor. That had been years ago.

I shook my head, turning away. "No."

"Cuz I'm here for ya. And I still don't know what ya did. You never say-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Harley."

She frowned, and I desperately, desperately hoped that she wouldn't recall the one detail I had told her. "Have… ya seen anythin' from your old team?" Damn. "Anythin' that would make you, I dunno… miss it? Feel bad about what ya did?"

Seen anything from my old team.

Yeah.

A lot.

They were showing up more and more lately; a glimpse of an orange girl. A green animal. Black magic. A silver man… a forgotten batarang.

And I was smart enough to know that it was on purpose. Robin was smart enough to do it on purpose. The fact that it only started happening recurrently after the one year anniversary wasn't a coincidence. It had been months now, past the New Year, and the appearances went from once in a blue moon, to once a month, to almost every week now.

They were trying to get me to feel as if they were building up to something. And they probably were. Still though… if what they were doing was trying to make me regret, then-

"JJ? Baby?" Harley was saying, waving a hand in my face. I shook my head, staring owlishly at her. "Ya zoned out there for a moment. You okay?"

I sighed, and swallowed my doubts. "Yes."

She mirrored the sigh. "Baby, you don't have to be tough all the time. You can be a kid, y'know?"

"Can I?" I asked quietly. I didn't agree.

She gently, tenderly, almost hesitantly leaned forwards, and pulled me into a hug. "You're my JJ. You don't have to be Mr. Conqueror with me."

I felt myself instinctually returning the hug. What was I doing? I pulled away. "Thanks for the talk, Harley."

I stood up to leave, and her hand lightly grabbed my wrist. I stopped and turned to her over my shoulder.

She was staring at me with big blue eyes, biting her lip as if she wasn't thinking hard. "J… JJ. Do you… do you think… do you think you could…" She turned and scolded herself under her breath, probably forgetting that I could hear her. "Do you think you could… call me 'Mom'?"

I stared at her wide eyed.

I…

I didn't know what to say.

Harley's face was just… hopeful.

I gave her a weak smile, and turned and left.

* * *

I sat on the edge of the building, watching the sun set over Gotham's skyline. I'd left the skyscrapers stay, ironically enough. The idea of burning them down was quaint as a kid, wanting to take over the world, but… I couldn't imagine the horizon without them. Burning them down… just felt…

I don't know.

I pulled up my phone and scrolled through videos. Yes, I still watched YouTube. Old habits die hard. Besides, I could use a little comedy. Nothing new had been uploaded since this all began, no one really felt like making funny videos on the internet when the world was descending into anarchy. But, the internet was still up. I had some tech guys work on keeping a select few servers up and running, and presto. I had some quick entertainment.

There was a blur of movement, and I nearly toppled off of the edge of the building, remembering I could fly before I stopped my fall. I turned on my heel, whipping around, looking for the source. Stepping back onto the roof, I peered around with sharp eyes, ears listening in for… anything, really. I hadn't seen Professor Zoom in a long time. Probably back to his own timeline- gah, I was getting distracted.

"Flash?" I called out, hands balled into fists, ready to fight. There was no response.

I'd dealt with the Speedster, I knew that. So…

I hummed thoughtfully. "Wally? Wally West, is that you?"

No answer.

My attempts at baiting him back out quickly soured in my mouth, and I scowled, feeling my eyes warm up with heat beams. "Last chance, before I eviscerate this entire damn area." It was a lie. Harley was in the building beneath me, but the attacker didn't need to know that. I doubted anyone would actually call my bluff.

Still… nothing.

Hit and run?

A thought quickly occurred; there were two options. One; it was Barry Allen, the actual Flash, which would've meant he'd gotten free, which would've meant that whatever Superman was waiting for was coming. More than likely… that meant the Batman. And the rest of the surviving Justice League.

Two; this was actually Wally, and the Titans were getting bolder. From sightings to actual attacks? That was leagues bolder, and meant that they were on the verge of stepping up to me.

I wasn't honestly sure which one I would've preferred. One was filled with hypotheticals and concepts, the other I was certain was coming sooner or later.

Titans please, then. Because if it was the League… that meant I had two superhero squads about to team up on me. I was in desperate need of help.

And then I stopped, mouth falling agape. Who would help me? None of the Gothamites would be suited for a head-to-head battle, with the exception of maybe Bane or Clayface, and even then, they couldn't stand up to a fellow Kryptonian, even if they would help me. Kryptonians? No, Zod and his men were still stuck in the Phantom Zone. The Sinestro Corps weren't likely to help me. They'd stayed away from Earth thus far, I didn't look forwards to seeing why. Adam hated me, the Amazons felt the same... I doubted there was anyone that actually would help me.

I was on my own.

I bolted away, off into the atmosphere. Space was safe. I could think in space, and the proximity to the Sun only gave me more energy. I let out a content breath at the feeling of the star's warmth, letting myself drift. This was better.

Easy.

I could forget everything like this. No problems, no worries… just peace.

* * *

I'm not sure how long I stayed out there. Long enough to fall asleep, but I snapped back to attention at the sound of my name. I turned and stared at Earth, frowning. Where had that come from? If someone needed my attention that badly, they'd call again. Still, I didn't think anyone would've-

Wait… had they called for JJ? I drifted closer to the edge of the atmosphere, frown deepening. What had-

A bolt of something smashed into my side, burning through my clothes and sending me shooting away. I stopped myself and wheeled around, looking for my attacker.

Aha.

Starfire.

Clever.

But I was faster.

I shot after the disappearing alien at immense speeds, pushing myself to go faster than I could ever recall. She turned and made a shocked face, and I momentarily imagined a 'eep' sound, before she fired another blast at me. I dodged it and tried my damndest to increase my speed. And then something slammed into my side, and Koriand'r disappeared into the inky void of space. She'd circle back around to Earth, I figured, but I would've long lost her, and I doubted I would be there to catch her.

More pressing however, was the ship I was wrapped around, pushing me forwards. I glared into the windshield at Cyborg, who was glaring right back at me. I fired a heat beam, ripping the ship in two- not before I was slammed into a meteor first. I felt the wind rush out of my lungs, and the dull sound of Cyborg ejecting his seat out of the ship, a rocket boosting him back to Earth. I coughed and pushed the remains of the ship away from me, fully intent on stopping Victor.

And then the ship exploded.

I let out a pained and frustrated yell as the bright blast encompassed me. More of my clothes had been burned away, and burns marked my exposed skin, parts of my hair singed off.

I let out another silent, frustrated scream and slammed a fist into the meteor, shattering it further.

The Titans were long gone.

And they'd done all they needed to do.

* * *

Charade walked steadfastly beside me, brown eyes flicking over to me momentarily in concern. I didn't return the gaze, simply striding forwards. I threw the door open- a little harder than I needed to, the wood cracking and the hinges whining in protest, but I didn't care. I really, _really_ needed to talk to someone.

Crane looked up from his desk, brown eyes curious behind his glasses. "Ah, Jester." He greeted.

I nodded in return, sitting down across from him.

"You seem… agitated," He said studiously, leaning forwards. "Tell me, do you still feel pain?"

"Daily." I muttered back. It didn't help my pride to admit, but he wasn't one to suffer lying. Even if I could snap him in half like a twig.

He hummed thoughtfully. "And have you been doing what I asked?"

"The tea? No."

"And why not? Afraid I'll poison you?"

That… wasn't fair to him. But my silence was answer enough.

"Child, I have no need to assassinate you. You have done nothing but aid in my experiments since we met. We are on very level ground, Jester."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. It's not just you."

"Paranoid?"

"Very."

He hummed again, looking up thoughtfully. "Hm… agoraphobia, perhaps. Commonly attributed to the fear of leaving the home, or fear of being in social situations, however, it can also refer to the fear of loss of control or personal autonomy. Do you fear assassination? Or do you fear losing your status?"

I frowned, and Charade stiffened next to me. "Easy, boy," I muttered. The thought _was_ particularly frightening. "Losing all I've worked for. Losing…"

Control.

"Agoraphobia then," I said quietly. "And what can I do to combat that?"

"What makes you fear losing control? Is it the thought of a revolution? A betrayal? An uprising of, perhaps, internal struggles?"

"Those are all… very good points."

Crane sighed and pulled his glasses off, staring at me intently. "The only way to conquer fear is to face fear itself. Normally, I would consider gassing you, however, I have not perfected the Kryptonian strain- your newfound physiology and your preexisting resistance to my toxin make the point all but moot. Thoughtfully, it would be more poignant to turn your attention towards the sources of your fear. Eliminate those sources, and perhaps your paranoia will ebb."

I nodded, then stopped. "That's easier said than done. The Titans are my biggest concern, but I've been hunting them for months. They only appear when they can get something over on me."

"It would be easier if you told me their identities."

I froze. I could. I knew them all. "I…"

"You owe nothing to them. All they have done was hold back your potential and chain you to the servitude of 'righteousness'. They know not who we truly are. You used them before to launch yourself to your current status, do not be afraid to do so again."

That was the Scarecrow coming out.

I sighed. "This has… given me a lot to think about. Thanks, Doctor. I need to go… deal with some things."

"Jester," He said as I stood up, reaching a long, thin arm over to grab the notes he'd pushed aside when I had come in. "Face your fears, but do not forget the power of it. Fear is the true motivator, and the true devastator. Remember this, if the time arises."

I nodded. "I'll keep it in mind." And with that, I left the laboratory with more concerns than I had entered with.

* * *

Robin darted over the roof tops, watching the Clown calmly walk beneath him, face drawn in deep thought. His now ever present guardian stood a slightly behind him, shotgun held at the ready.

Dick held in a curse. The hit and runs and messages had been a risky endeavor, and for all rights and purposes, had paid off; the Jester was jumpy and afraid. But that didn't make him dumb, and since the ambush out in space, the conqueror wouldn't go anywhere without Charade.

The muscular thug with the shotgun may not have been as much of a danger as the skinny teen was, but even so, a blast from the gun would still kill any of the Titans. Travelling in a duo offered a measure of safety for the Jester. The idea hadn't occurred to the vigilante when he'd been planning everything, but it was something he was prepared to work around. The thug wouldn't be with Jester forever, and the Clown would eventually let down his guard.

For instance… Charade didn't sleep in Titans Tower. Jester would have none of it.

Robin slid to a stop and pulled out his communicator. He wouldn't risk speaking, not anywhere near this close to the madman at least, but he could still type a message. This was it. He wasn't losing the Jester again. He'd just have to wait until they split up.

One Titan could take Charade, even given the man's training. In a duo, they were both exponentially more dangerous, but as an individual, the man was simply too tame for the heroes to have a challenge with.

Robin adjusted his body armor quietly. He'd taken to wearing it the last few weeks; Jester had never returned to the Manor, surprisingly enough. Perhaps he didn't believe that the Bat family wouldn't be a problem anymore. Perhaps he just didn't want to return there. It didn't matter; all that mattered was that Dick was able to retrieve his old Robin armor, and felt completely ready to finally take on the psychopath.

Said psychopath stopped, raising a hand for Charade to do the same. The thug instantly went into scout mode, knees bent, shotgun raised to his shoulder, brown eyes darting all around the empty city street. Robin hunkered low, thankful for the building's ledge. He tapped out a quick emergency message to Raven and grabbed a hold of his collapsible bo staff, taking deep, centered breaths.

* * *

 _Ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump._

I could recognize the sound of someone's heartbeat steadying; I'd heard it a thousand times. Someone was making themselves calm down. I sent Charade a meaningful look, and my guard nodded, skulking off to go search the buildings. I listened intently, trying to place the sound, but it created fantastic acoustics in the packed street, bouncing back and forth off the buildings.

I sighed and braced myself; I really, I _really_ hated using this.

I blinked and my x-ray vision activated. The pain immediately began behind my eyes, but I pushed it to the back of my mind, peering around cautiously, scanning the city street.

My eyes washed over the rooftops, staring through the ledges, certain that someone was there.

* * *

Robin's own detective vision was active, his mask's eyes glowing a bright blue as he stared through the cinder ledge at the Jester.

Who was staring right back at him.

* * *

What in the fuck was that?

I stared intently at the corner of the building's rooftops, trying my damnedest to make out the strange thing; it looked almost like a skull, which would've confirmed my suspicions, but all it was was simply the bottom half of a skull; no spine, no ribcage, nothing. Just jawbones and teeth.

That was certainly… strange. I momentarily thought about simply blasting the roof, but… Charade was still in the building below.

"Dammit." I cursed under my breath, and began flying towards the roof.

* * *

Robin's eyes widened as the Jester began levitating, slowly floating towards the vigilante's hiding spot. He took a deep breath in and gripped his halved bo staff tightly, muscles clenched.

* * *

I frowned as I got closer, turning my x-ray vision off, my eyes burning from the pain. Whatever. I had more pressing matters. I finally reached the rooftop and-

There was nothing there.

I frowned and lowered myself, activating my vision again, and lo and behold, the strange half skull was gone. So something had been there?

Or was I simply losing my mind?

I shook my head. I hadn't thought I was far enough gone to… okay, that simply wasn't true. I'd been having hallucinations for months, but they were generally just images of the Joker, and they tended to disappear if I spent time around him. Skulls certainly would've been ne-

"Gah!"

I was interrupted by the sound of Charade letting out a pained grunt, and my eyes widened. I dropped quickly to the street level, staring in at the building. "Charade?!" I called out, frantically. Was he dead? I threw the door open, ripping it off of its hinges and chucking it across the street. Clouds were filling up above me, dark but not rain clouds. I frowned and edged into the building.

And was immediately thrown back as a shelf slammed into me, sending me across the street. I slammed into the brick wall and let out an irritated growl, falling to my feet to storm back across.

Another shelf came flying after the first one, but I quickly sawed it in half with my heat beams; what I did notice however, was the black energy surrounding it.

"Raven," I called, voice little more than a growl. "Oh, Raven."

There was no sound. Frustrated, my heat beams began warming up again; only for an energy blast to catch me in the side. I didn't fall, the blue beam simply pushing me backwards. I lifted my hands to guard against the attack, as I was pushed further into the asphalt. I glared down the street at Cyborg, shaking my hands at the burning sensation.

Victor was scowling, though his eye was filled with trepidation. Scared? Good.

"That almost hurt, Vic." I called out, beginning to walk towards him.

I frowned at an incredibly loud pounding and turned on my heel; only for a green rhinoceros to slam its horn into me, carrying me down the street. I growled and put my feet onto the ground, stopping Beast Boy's momentum. As we slowed to a stop, I grabbed his horns and hefted him up, throwing him down the street towards Cyborg. The shapeshifter shifted in mid air, and hit the ground sliding, standing up slightly behind his comrade.

I scowled at my former teammates. "This is just a little team reunion, isn-"

"Duck!"

At the command, the two heroes ducked, and Starfire blasted two green eyebeams at me. I was still faster though, and fired my own beams, the two attacks meeting in the middle. I concentrated, forcing as much strength as I could into the heat beams, and was rewarded with the feeling of her attack being pushed back.

There was a sharp whistling and I lost my concentration for a moment, letting Starfire gain the upper hand. Her beams slammed into my chest, sending me flying down the street. I flipped in mid air and stopped myself, calmly stepping down.

My hand shot to the side on instinct, and caught the batarang.

I slowly followed its line of flight back up to the rooftops; Robin stood on the ledge, short cape billowing in the breeze, armor glinting in the dim light.

I grinned. " _Finally_. Are we done running?"

There was no answer as the Titans simply stared gravely at me, Raven appearing from the shop to join her team. I craned my neck to the side, popping it. "It's almost like-"

A rock hit the side of my head, and I glared up at Dick. His face was still as serious as ever. I shook my head. "How immature. What is this a-"

Another rock hit me.

I growled. "Fine, then let's just-"

Another rock.

"Stop throwing rocks-" I began, before cutting myself short, a short flashback playing through my head at the words. My eyes went wide.

"Sorry. Couldn't resist. You're just so boring now."

I stared at Robin as Terra stepped up next to him.

* * *

 **A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, that will do it for another rousing chapter in the life of Mr. Jester. By the way, I love the idea that he's on his own. Honestly, if you were a villain living the cushy life; would you help Jester? No. The answer is a solid no. The scary-psycho-kryptonian dude? No. Hell no. That's just a basket of eggs you don't want to get involved with. I'm rambling. Enjoy the chapter, and prepare...**

 **The finale is here. It all finally comes to a head.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **FYI, I'm going on vacation, so any and all messages will be responded to after the weekend. Bonjour et bonsoir.**

 **-Infernokota**


	18. Weaknesses

**"** **It is the downfall of evil, that it never sees far enough ahead."**

 **-Orson Scott Card**

 _Congrats. We have reached the absolute lowest point of my entire life. Enjoy it. You'll never hear it from my lips again._

* * *

 _Terra stared forwards, unblinkingly._

 _Well… okay. That wasn't true. Well, kinda was. She didn't really blink. Only just… watched. Like she was in a coma with her eyes open. Almost. Sorta. She didn't really know how to explain it._

 _But that wasn't really important. What was important was the never-ending boredom she felt._

 _'_ _I'm sorry. I get it. I get why you did it. And I'm sorry. It's not easy to do what you did- either betrayal, I guess. But I'm sorry. Your sacrifice is going to be in vain. I'm sorry.'_

 _The warning still rang in her ears, never too far from her thoughts. Every time Beast Boy visited her to talk about his week, every time Raven and Robin arrived to study her state, she wanted to scream out at them. Tell them what Ace was going to do. But she couldn't. Simply stood with her hands raised to the ceiling of the cave quietly. Forever._

 _It had been long enough though that she was no longer panicked. What could she do? The world was just going to go on without her anyway. Ace probably already had done whatever he was planning to do. The Titans probably already stopped him. There was nothing she could do about that._

 _But Beast Boy still came. Robin and Raven still visited, books held in their arms as they tried their hardest to save her, the adorable little cupcakes. That was an ever constant, and she couldn't help but feel at ease. If she was going to be stuck here till the end of time (or till she died at least), she could at least do so in the company of her friends._

 _And then they stopped coming._

 _No warning, no slow disappearance. Just one day- night, whatever- they were there, and then nothing._

 _That would've broken her heart anyways._

 _'_ _Your sacrifice is going to be in vain. I'm sorry.'_

 _But now she had an idea that there was a reason. It wasn't that they just forgot about her; they couldn't physically visit her._

 _But, hey, that was okay, right? She didn't have to worry. They were the Teen Titans. They stopped, and simultaneously saved, her. They beat Slade when all the cards were stacked against them. They could stop Ace. They would stop Ace. They were the good guys, right?_

 _But then time continued to stretch on. Unendingly. There was nothing. Sleep cycles turned to a full week of sleep cycles. A week turned to something like a month. That turned to months upon months._

 _To say that she had lost all hope had been an understatement. Not just in herself, but in the Titans, terrifyingly. They couldn't have been beat, could they? But she didn't have any other ideas. Why else would they have disappeared just like that? But how? How could Ace have won? He wasn't shit! He was a discount, moody Robin, and he always had been._

 _She was missing something here. She had to have been._

 _But she couldn't do anything. Terra just stared forwards, unblinkingly._

 _And then she didn't._

 _Okay, that was vague._

 _She watched the woman enter the cavern, silhouetted in the blinding light of the entrance, quickly sashaying, for lack of a better term, up the walkway towards her statue. The woman was older, in her twenties or thirties, wearing only a low cut black dress, loose around her legs, and a black necklace. Not even wearing shoes. She was fair skinned with long purple hair, black lipstick, and pure white eyes. Eyes filled with urgency._

 _She finally reached Terra and immediately began tracing her fingers over her rocky covering, chanting under her breath. Her hands began glowing white and the air began thrumming with power- then_ literally _humming._

 _The woman thrust her hands forward, fingers splayed out, and the energy seemed to reach a boiling point._

 _Time then began to rewind, oddly enough._

 _She watched the woman walk backwards jerkily, like a VHS tape being rewound, then the eternity of nothingness; then Beast Boy's smiling face arriving than leaving, and Raven and Robin, and Cyborg and Starfire-_

 _And then Ace's somber goodbye, blue and green eyes filled with regret before the Titans' teary goodbyes of their own._

 _Then her fight with Slade, her absolute explosion of power, his last desperate attack, her betrayal, the arrival of the Titans, then she herself arriving- to see Ace and Slade standing in the same room. God, she should have known._

 _Then the quick stream of images paused and feeling rushed back to her._

 _Terra fell to her knees, gasping for breath, her armor in the poor condition it had been after her final confrontation with the Titans. She looked up at the mysterious woman, fair cheekbones covered in sweat, staring right back at her._

 _"_ _Careful," The sorceress said tiredly, voice thick in an accent that Terra couldn't care to identify at the moment. "You have been thrown back to before your incident. Your body is already tired from whatever encounter you had just run from, but your mind is exhausted by your imprisonment here."_

 _"_ _Who… who are you?" Terra managed, looking up with large, bright blue eyes filled with confusion._

 _"…_ _I… am Tala. That is not important."_

 _"_ _What… how long?"_

 _"_ _Roughly two years."_

 _"_ _Jesus…"_

 _Tala looked to the side, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "The Jester has… committed some takeover of Earth-"_

 _"_ _Wait," Terra said, turning to sit on her haunches as she felt strength slowly flow back into her. "The Jester? Who?"_

 _"_ _I believe you knew him as 'Ace'."_

 _"_ _Course he changed his name…"_

 _"_ _That is also not important. There are… people who believe that you would be an asset to helping stop him."_

 _"_ _I- I don't- I-"_

 _"_ _The… Teen Titans are some of the few still fighting him. They could use your help."_

 _Terra's eyes instantly brightened, and she rose to her feet- only to fall back to her knees. She smiled bashfully. "Well, ya know… I'll get to that in a minute."_

 _Tala smiled slightly before turning on her heel, pressing a hand to her temple. "Lex. Project Firma's completed." And then she left, leaving Terra sitting by herself in her prison._

* * *

 _When Terra finally stepped outside into the small forest outside of Jump City, she expected a burning city, crumbling skyscrapers; Armageddon in as many words._

 _But it wasn't. The sky was a bright shining blue, sparse clouds intermitting the vast space. The buildings were intact, with the exception of one tower that had been halved cleanly. No smoke spires reached up to the sky, the forest was a perfect verdant green, she could smell no fire. Wait-_ Tower _._

 _She jogged forwards, weakly, her knees wobbling as she weaved through the trees, until she reached the edge of the forest. And out there, far past the edge of the coast, sitting calmly in the pure blue water, was Titans Tower, gleaming in the bright sun. That, she had not expected. The city being fine…_ fine _. But the Tower? She thought that Ace- Jester-_ gah _, whatever his name was, would've had it destroyed._

 _But no. It was just… fine._

 _That honestly freaked her out more than if the city_ had _been razed._

 _That left trying to find the others, wherever they were. Would they have stayed in the city? First thing first; she needed to desperately get caught up in the current events. Her goal decided, she stepped out of the forest and began her march towards Jump City._

* * *

 **-Several Months Later-**

 _When Terra had been on the cusp of meeting the Titans again, she didn't know what to expect. She'd missed so much- she could've stopped Ace before all this happened, they'd have questions, maybe they'd think she was still against them, maybe-_

 _Gah. She couldn't second guess herself. Especially not with them. Not at this point. She_ needed _to help them. Couldn't bear the thought of not helping._

 _Terra had quickly,_ quickly _, learned that the Jester had a fine amount of control on just about everything, everyone, and everywhere._

 _She knew Ace had been an ass, she knew that he was a schemer- but dictator? It didn't… feel right. She was a fantastic judge of character, and she never in a million years thought that Ace would be able to do… what he did. She could hardly fathom it._

 _But, it didn't take long for her wake-up call. In fact, she'd been in Jump City for less than an hour before someone started taking pot shots at her. Well, that was after he'd made lewd comments towards her and she'd thrown half the street at him, but that was still a fair point; anarchy totally reigned. And he didn't care whatsoever._

 _How did she know? She saw him once, just once. A flash of green through the sky, the feeling of the 'civilians' growing cold with fear before he was gone, back in the direction of the Tower,_ the bastard _. Then the people would take a moment, shake it off, and return back to their regularly scheduled madness._

 _But that was fine. He didn't care? That meant he only paid attention when something was 'important'. Which meant that he would totally come after her ass if she'd be too heavy-handed in searching for her team. But that also meant that if she was subtle about it, he wouldn't notice._

 _So, for once in her life; she was subtle._

 _Little scratches of 'T's in walls, winding her way across the country, coast to coast. It had taken weeks, even at full speed zipping over the terrain on rocks. And when she reached the East coast (Jersey, specifically- she had an inkling that it wasn't any different in anarchy as it was normally), she made her way back to Jump._

 _And then did it again._

 _And then again._

 _And then again once more._

 _And then it paid off._

 _Terra sighed in a mixture of boredom and exhaustion. She'd been using her powers non-stop since she'd begun her search, and while she felt a remarkable new level of control, she was beginning to feel the strain on her body._

 _But hey; she had a goal. She had been saved for a reason… a reason that might have been totally selfish, and after she dug into it a bit, completely spiteful and vindictive, but a reason nonetheless._

 _Besides the physical toll, she'd begun feeling mental exhaustion set in as well. Terra hadn't relaxed once, feeling nonstop completely wired. The encounter with the potential-probably-honestly, in her experience, par for the course now-rapist, had been her first inkling of how dangerous the Jester's anarchic regime was. A, in her opinion, attractive young woman who happened to be a superheroine? She was like a walking, talking target._

 _That had also been before she'd encountered Mumbo Jumbo and he tried to hypnotize her before she trapped him in a crevice and maybe-totally-accidentally collapsed it. The blue magician was probably still alive. But that had been her second wake-up call in that the majority of superheroes and minority of villains had switched, meaning a metric butt-ton of bad guys, and few good guys spread out far and wide._

 _So, she'd been completely wired nonstop for the past few months, body on high alert at all times._

 _So, Terra could be excused when she threw a monster truck sized boulder at the rustling behind her in an instant. Not that she would've apologized for it._

 _Well… she would totally apologize for it._

 _"_ _WOAH, WOAH, WOAH!" The voice yelled, and Terra's eyes widened._

 _"…_ _Cy?" She asked quietly, and the forest went absolutely dead silent._

 _"…_ _Terra?" Another voice asked, and the blonde teen felt her eyes fill with tears. She spun on her heel and dove at the voice, feeling herself hit something solid and almost knock it over. "Oh my god, Terra." Beast Boy said, voice thick with disbelief._

 _She clung to her old teammate tightly, refusing to let him go, and after a moment for his shock to wane, he threw his arms around her and held her in a death grip, burying his face into her shoulder as she had done to him. He hadn't quite picked her up off her feet like she'd been fantasizing, (he was only as tall as her, maybe even a tiny bit shorter, after all) but she could hardly care._

 _More footsteps joined them, and she momentarily brought her face up to look around; Cyborg and Robin had entered the trail, staring in absolute shock at her._

 _"_ _Bu- wha- uh- how?" The Titans leader asked her quietly. She took the moment to look over him, realizing how_ Batmany _he had become; his hair was cut short, and his old domino mask had been replaced with a metal one matching his armored suit. Cyborg as well had changed, face gaunter and less glass panels covering his form, more white metal taking their place._

 _She couldn't bear to pull back and look at how battle-hardened Beast Boy had changed, so she simply returned her face to the comfortable spot at his shoulder._

 _"_ _It's a long story." Terra said, voice muffled by Gar's shoulder, hoping that someone had heard it._

 _"_ _Who cares?" BB muttered back, still not releasing her, and she finally melted into his embrace, allowing herself to let herself rest for the first time in months._

 _"_ _I do," Robin said, carelessly shattering the moment. "How did you get out? We spent months trying to figure something out."_

 _Finally, Terra pulled away from Beast Boy, though still holding one of his hands tightly, and turned to Robin's stern face, wiping happy tears from her eyes._

 _"_ _Okay, so you guys stopped showing up, and then this woman came in, and she wasn't wearing any shoes, and she was actually really pretty, and, she did a spell thing that I think switched me with the me that was fighting Slade, and I don't know, I woke up in my armor and she told me what was going on, and then I left, and everything was wrong and horrible, and I've been running nonstop for months trying to find you guys, and then I did, and honestly I'm kinda just really tired and weirded out and can we go home please?" She said quickly._

 _It took her a moment before she realized that all three of them were staring at her._

 _"_ _I haven't talked to anyone for a really long time." She said quietly, looking at her feet._

 _After a few moments of silence, Cyborg began laughing. A deep, joyful, belly laugh. Beast Boy chuckled as well, while Robin managed a smile. Victor turned his bright grin towards her. "It's good to have you back, T."_

 _"_ _Ya know," BB said, caressing a comforting circle with his thumb on the back of her hand. "You're not ever allowed to die again, right? Like, ever. Ever, ever. Actually, you're not even ever allowed to_ leave _," He nodded in satisfaction. "Yep, you're stuck with us. Nada."_

 _Terra managed the first smile she'd had in… since she talked to Tala, actually. "What if you die."_

 _"_ _Then I'll haunt you, and you'll still be stuck with me."_

 _"_ _What if the Titans break up."_

 _"…_ _Huh. I'll guess we'll go have to do superhero stuff with just the two of us."_

 _"_ _SO you're kidnapping me?"_

 _"_ _What? Pssh, naw, think of it, like… effective partnership."_

 _"_ _That doesn't even mean anything."_

 _"_ _I mean… it does if I want it to. Like… mm…"_

 _"_ _Marriage?"_

 _Gar's eyes widened at the light teasing and a dark green blush crossed his face as he looked away. "Well, no- that would, um, that would- no, like- we would have- like, no, I mean-"_

 _Terra laughed and leaned into him. "I get it. I promise that I won't leave you again. But you gotta promise the same. Pinky promise?" She held up her pinky finger._

 _He smiled, and wrapped his own pinky around hers. "Pinky promise."_

* * *

 _Terra couldn't stop grinning, even as her ears began to ring and nausea began filling her stomach._

 _Starfire was absolutely beaming with happiness as she flew Terra around the HQ, yelling, whooping, and talking a thousand words a minute- loudly, Terra would add._

 _Finally, after what felt like hours, Koriand'r put her down, but didn't stop flying giddily. "Friend Terra! It's so good to see you!" She said, finally managing to stop moving and stand in front of her friend._

 _Terra rubbed the back of her head and chuckled weakly to hide your discomfort. "You… too, Star." The alien's hair had grown, as well as the alien herself having grown considerably in height, but she still had the bright, childlike, almost inherently naïve smile plastered on her face._

 _Raven managed a tiny,_ tiny _, smirk from her position floating against the wall, purple cloak wrapped around herself. "Good to see you." The telepath muttered._

 _Terra sent a bright smile her old friend's way. "Same, Rae."_

 _"_ _Now Beast Boy'll stop talking to me."_

 _"_ _Probably not."_

 _"_ Riiight _."_

 _And that was that._

 _Robin looked up from his spot on the other side of the empty building, face lit up from the screen on the table in front of him. "Now that reunions are out of the way, let's get you in the loop." Terra nodded and briskly walked over to her leader._

 _"_ _So… what's up?" She asked lamely._

 _"_ _What's up, is that we've got the Jester on the run."_

 _She stared at him with bright blue eyes. "Oh."_

 _"_ _Yeah."_

 _"_ _So…"_

 _"_ So _. For the past couple of months, we've been dogging him, trying to plant doubt and maybe a little fear in his mind. I've known him for years, I know how he works, and he's paranoid, more so now than ever. Us 'chasing him' is probably why it took us so long to find each other, as well."_

 _"_ _Oh so it's_ your _fault that I've been running across the country over and over again, thanks."_

 _"_ _Don't mention it. We've got him to the point where he barely even leaves him without a guard with him-"_

 _Terra raised her hand. "Hey, question; if he's some all-powerful Kryptonian badass, which, by the way, I still don't understand, why does he still need some bodyguard? Is the bodyguard Darkseid? I bet it's Darkseid."_

 _"_ _It's not Darkseid, it's one of his old thugs, Charade, AKA Carter Tumbayo-"_

 _"_ _That is an unfortunate last name."_

 _"_ Focus _. Charade's just a human. Former US marine serving in the MARSOC-"_

 _"_ _The what now?"_

 _"_ _Marine badasses, Terra_ , focus _. Which makes him a former marine badass. He also carries a huge shotgun, so he might just be a normal human, but he could kill any of us."_

 _"_ Buuuut _not as quickly as Ace can? I-"_

 _"_ Don't. Call him. Ace _." Robin said quietly and lowly._

 _Terra blinked at the quick change in demeanor. "Oookay,_ fine _, not as quickly as the_ Jester _can. I don't get it."_

 _"_ _Fine, you focus on the Jester because he's the bigger threat. Then Charade shoots you in the back and kills you. Get it?"_

 _"_ _Ah."_

 _"_ _Anyway, with a little bit more prodding and pushing, we can get him to his breaking point. His nerves are frayed from his 'duties'; it's not going to take much to snap his nerves entirely. You in?"_

 _"_ _You're the Titans. Of_ course _I'm in."_

 _Robin reached onto the table and handed her a small yellow circle with a black antenna. A Titans' communicator. "_ We're _the Titans."_

 _Terra took it grinning, as the other four joined them. "Alright. Titans; let's kick the Jester's ass."_

* * *

Okay, what the fuck?

What the fuck?

What in the actual fuck?

"What the fuck?" I said out loud, staring at Terra standing on the roof. "What the actual fuck?"

"I know, right?" Terra said with a grin. "Total psycho-boner killer, right?"

The pointed barb didn't manage to faze me out of my shock. "Now, hold on a minute here. What? When? How? _I have so many questions_!"

"I know, right?"

I let out a breath, running a hand through my hair. "I'm going to have to look into that after this."

"After this?" Cyborg called out, drawing my attention to the four Titans still on the street. "After this, you're going to be in jail. For a very long time."

I held up a finger. "Now, that, kiddo, is where you're wrong. After this, I'm going to head back to the Tower- _my_ tower- and figure out what movie I'm going to watch to forget about killing you. Because that's what I'll do after this. Forget about you. It'll be great. I'll make a day out of it."

Beast Boy turned to Cyborg, and said under his breath: "Damn, I forgot how good at battle banter he is."

"Thank you!" I called back.

"Fuck off."

"Ooh, I don't think I've heard you swear before-" I moved, down the street in a blur, fast enough for them to look in complete shock as I appeared next to them. My hand was outstretched, holding Beast Boy's throat tightly in my grip. "Let's wash that mouth out, shall we?" I hefted him up and slammed him face first into the ground.

Starfire took the opportunity to punch me square in the jaw, sending me stumbling back-

And then a huge chunk of the street was ripped out by yellow energy and hit me in the goddamn face, sending me flying into the wall of the building on the far side.

I chuckled manically, irritation flooding my mind as I briskly stepped back onto the street. "Oh-ho- _ho_ , I am leaving you _alive_ , missy! I'll figure your shit out on my own!" I stared at the tightly coiled Titans glaring at me, and a grin split my painted face.

"Now," I called out. "LET'S GET READY TO _RUMBLLLLLE_!"

* * *

Despite the exuberant call to battle, and the giddy smile on the Jester's face, no one moved. The combatants stood for a few tense minutes, taking the situation in.

At first glance, the entire scene seemed lopsided; the Jester was surrounded, with the exception of directly behind him, but the clown seemed dead set on fighting, meaning that an escape was unlikely. Raven to his left, just inside the shop, Robin and Terra to his left with the high ground, Star, Beast Boy, and Cyborg directly in front of him, the shapeshifter bringing himself back to his feet, seeming more angry than hurt by the attack.

They all, however, knew better than that.

"Tell me, kids… who wants the first turn?" The Jester goaded, mismatched eyes coldly staring at his former teammates, at odds with his smile.

Again, none of the other teens reacted to the dictator's prodding.

"Fine then. Eenie-meenie-minie- _mo_ -" The Jester said, before dashing to the side, bowling between Terra and Robin and sending the heroes flying apart. Not wasting his momentum, the teen caught Terra as he flew and spun, throwing her at the other group. Cyborg caught the flying girl, only to recoil in pain as the Jester joined her, smashing a gloved fist into the eldest hero's face.

Spinning, the clown blocked a punch thrown by Starfire. Shooting low, he grabbed one of her ankles and swung her hard, making to slam her into Beast Boy. The shapeshifter shifted quickly, a green octopus taking his place. One tentacle grabbed Star's wrist, yanking the alien out of the pseudo-Kryptonian's grip, while the other seven went to work attempting to grasp onto the Jester.

The psychopath deftly dodged, spun, and floated around each of the flailing limbs with unnatural agility and reflexes, before dashing through the tentacles altogether and moving in front of BB's black eyes. Grinning, the Jester sent a pointed hand at the shapeshifter's bulbous head, missing only as Gar turned into a mouse, falling out of the way of the attack.

Not letting up, the Jester raised a foot down to end the hero, when a boulder came flying from the side, sending the villain twirling into the air, before finally righting himself.

Not letting his nemesis gain a moment to think, Robin fired his grappling hook, the Jester catching it on reflex. Reeling himself in, the Gothamite let go of the launcher and used his momentum to fly past the dictator, pulling his bo staff out and swinging quickly at his old friend's head.

The Jester simply caught the attack, floating in the air alongside the hanging Robin, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Really?" He asked.

Robin spat in his face, and then slapped something onto the villain's chest. Cy rolled out from where he had been waiting, and fired his arm cannon at the turncoat. The blue blast nailed the Jester directly in the center of his chest, right where the Titans' leader had slapped him, setting off the explosive, and sending him flying away in a brilliant, _bright_ chain reaction.

Starfire darted forwards and caught Robin as he began falling, taking her leader back to where the other four Titans were waiting. They stared up suspiciously at the large black cloud concealing the dictator. He hadn't fallen; which meant that he was either disintegrated, or still fully conscious.

"What are the odds that he's dead?" Terra asked quietly.

"Knowing our luck? He's probably just pissed." Beast Boy muttered back.

"Any plans?" Cyborg asked Robin, red, robotic eye searching for any sign that the Jester was doing… anything, honestly.

"Keep up with what we're doing. Stay in at _minimum_ pairs. Don't let him get you on your own. Don't let up. If you get tired, keep fighting. If you get hurt, keep fighting. If he manages to kill you… get back up." Was the Gothamite's answer.

"Gotcha."

The quintet tensed up, ready for the next round to begin. Cyborg's eye narrowed before widening quickly, and he pushed the other four out of the way, two duel lasers shooting out of the smoke, nailing the eldest hero in the chest, a small red explosion sending Victor flying backwards. The other Titans didn't bother turning to check on their comrade, staring into the cloud as it began dissipating, two glowing red eyes the only visible parts of the former Titan.

He floated forwards out of the smoke, his shirt and vest gone altogether, baring his pale torso, the ends of his black hair singed, hanging slightly in his face.

The Jester looked absolutely unharmed.

"You know, charging up a shot like that takes a lot of energy, Vic. Was hoping to get the lot of ya, but, whatever," He turned appraising eyes on the remaining four, scanning them. After a moment, he descended as the Titans exchanged looks, silently planning their next offensive maneuver. He raised an eyebrow as black dress shoes touched down on the asphalt. "You know how this is going to end, right? There's a reason I didn't, say, take a Lantern ring, or steal Amazonian physiology, or take Venom, armored myself up in some of Wayne's toys. Kryptonians are nearly invincible. There is absolutely nothing you can do to hurt me, not enough to put me down for the fight. That silly little 'Dragon Ball' show you and Cy like, BB? Think about it this way; my power level is bigger than yours."

"Power levels are bullshit anyways." Beast Boy spat back.

"…Now, I feel like that's a reference I don't get. Anywho; I may as well be healing faster than you can hurt me. We could be here all day, and you would get no closer to beating me. Take that in for a moment," the psychopath said confidently, crossing his arms over his chest. He raised an eyebrow as he stared at the other four, the heroes' faces stuck in various degrees of shock. He sighed. "Fine then. Let's get this-"

He was interrupted as something slammed into his back hard, carrying him forwards towards the quartet.

Hissing in a breath, Robin turned to Raven. "Now!"

The sorceress nodded and lifted her hands, glowing black. " _Azarath metrion zinthos_!" A flat chunk of asphalt was ripped out of the road by the same energy, and sandwiched the Jester between it and his attacker, kicking up a large dust cloud. The cloud dissipated as the psychopath quickly recovered and leapt up and away, taking himself out of the center of the heroes.

Robin grit his teeth together. "Why did you do that? We weren't supposed to reveal our hand this early."

"Oh, I'm sorry. He was just about to, you know, blindside you guys and probably kill you. Vic's fine, by the way."

The Jester narrowed his eyes and took in the new combatant; she was young, a little older than him perhaps, but taller and certainly more well-built, with tanned skin and long black hair hanging down towards her waist. She was dressed in a sleeveless black leotard, glittering like a night sky, black boots and silver wrist bracers.

Wonder Girl turned back towards her opponent, pulling out a glowing silver whip.

The Jester, rather than looking surprised, simply narrowed his eyes. "Good, now I don't have to hunt you down." He muttered lowly, beginning to walk towards them.

"Alright, what's the score?" Donna Troy asked, swinging her lasso around lazily.

"Us one, him zero…" Beast Boy grumbled, periodically checking over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of Cyborg.

"Not what I meant, but really?"

"Yeah. You couldn't really tell by looking."

Robin twirled his bo staff around, hard eyes never leaving his enemy. "He's not being aggressive-"

"Why do you people act like he wasn't about to make you explode?"

"Donna. Not now. He's not being aggressive, and I don't know why. Until he does get aggressive though, we need to press our advantage. As soon as he gets on the offensive, we need to allocate. Some of us need to keep his aggro, some of us need to try and blindside him."

"Once he goes aggressive... do we really want to keep him like that?"

"Yes."

"Okay… then how?"

"Trust me. I've got a way."

"Are you done?" The Jester called out. "Because I'm really feeling like getting aggressive!"

"That's all you got? BB said you were an expert trash talker! I'm not impressed!" Wonder Girl called back.

The psychopath stared at her for a few moments. "You know, I don't think we've actually met yet, Amazonian."

"We did! When you met with Queen Hippolyta."

"…Oh! Now I remember. Okay, yeah. Alright. Here to die with your friends?"

"Naw. Here to kill you."

"Shame."

And with that, the Jester disappeared.

The Titans all stared blankly at the spot the turncoat had been standing.

"Wha…" Beast Boy said quietly.

"Cy? Raven?" Robin asked. Both turned to him and shook their heads, as the teens began wheeling around.

All of a sudden, Wonder Girl went flying, and standing in her place, was the Jester, fist outstretched as if he had just thrown a punch.

 _'_ _He's fast.'_ Robin thought to himself, recoiling in shock, eyes wide.

In one swift movement, the Jester turned, grabbed onto Terra's arm, leapt, kicked Robin in the jaw, swung the aforementioned blonde into Beast Boy, letting her go, and flipped in the air, punching Cyborg squarely in the top of his head, sending him slamming into the ground, before punt-kicking him away, back handed Starfire, then finally turned and let out a high-speed breath of frost that sent Raven spiraling away into the air.

As nearly one, each Titan flew to the side, away from the psychopath, leaving the Jester standing alone. He raised an eyebrow. "Anyone else?"

" _New plan_!" Robin called out to the separated team, gritting his teeth together in anger. "Just attack him."

It was the only order they needed, and the other six heroes dashed at the Jester as one- only for him to fly into the air peacefully, turning his eyes to the battlefield. His eyes then began glowing red, and two glowing red heat beams shot down towards the asphalt street, dragging along, carving deep divots into the ground, black rock shattering as he attempted to chase down the Titans, as they focused on dodging his attack.

Finally, he caught up with Cyborg, glowing red beams ripping through the teen's shoulder, separating his left arm, it falling with a metallic 'clang'.

"Cy!" Beast Boy yelled out, scowling as he turned quickly into a pterodactyl, flying at the Jester.

"Throw me." Wonder Girl said to Starfire, the alien not hesitating as she grabbed the newcomer and spun, throwing her high into the sky.

Beast Boy weaved around the Jester's heat beams, gaining on the psychopath quickly. The turncoat turned off his attack as he prepared to deal with the shapeshifter in melee combat, before the green hero suddenly stopped, flapping his wings to buffet the Jester. Amidst the attack, the black haired villain was spun around- only for a silver lasso to wrap around his waist.

Wonder Girl reeled herself in, pulling him up at the same time, and slammed her shoulder into his midsection, sending him flying back down to Earth. Both teens stumbled to their feet quickly. Donna threw the first punch, eyes not leaving his as he smugly spun out of the shot-

Only for his head to whip to the side anyways, sending him stumbling away.

He rubbed his cheek, narrowing his eyes darkly. "I thought I dodged that…" He muttered, cold eyes calculating as he reassessed the fight.

The Jester dashed forwards again, throwing a blow towards her mid-section, only for her knee to come up, and for him to stumble backwards again.

 _'_ _I thought I dodged that!'_ He thought to himself in irritation. "You're fast." He acquiesced.

"Yeah, I guess so."

The Jester grunted and turned, spitting out a glob of blood. Clenching a gloved hand together, he moved to attack her again, only to stop and turn on his heel, catching a batarang thrown his way. He had been holding it for only a few short moments before it began beeping, and exploded in his face, his hands flying up to hold his head, trying to push the pain out.

" _Azarath metrion zinthos_!"

A light pole ripped out of the ground, surrounded by black energy, and swung at him. His hands fell to catch it, only for both Wonder Girl and Starfire to dash in, taking the chance to sandwich his head in mirror punches. Ears ringing, he shook off the pain and ripped the pole out of Raven's control, swinging it in a circle as he caught both girls in the stomach, sending them crashing to the ground.

The Jester let out a roar of pain and anger, and began smashing the pole onto the asphalt, trying to squish the teens as they rolled and dodged his attacks. Picking the pole up, he held it like a spear and chucked it Raven's direction, Cyborg diving from the side and sending her crashing to the ground the only thing that stopped the light pole from slamming into her.

The two teens rolled away, as Cyborg groaned while she pushed herself to her feet. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Cy turned to his sparking shoulder joint, rent metal glowing orange with heat and flopping wires where his arm used to be. "…Yeah, I think I'm fine. Go. I'll get up in a minute." He grumbled, mentally sending the power flowing to his arm to other parts of his body.

The Jester flew into the air and huffed as he tried to regain control of his anger. He finally relaxed, opening his eyes as he took in the battlefield again. There was a whir, and he turned, only for a batarang to slam into his face, sending his body turning in the air- and then something else hit him squarely in the face, making the psychopath fall through the air to hit the ground. He scowled and spun around.

"What just… hm."

Starfire let out a yell and flew towards him quickly, green energy covered hand soaring towards him as she fired blasts, all of which he dodged, before reaching him, hand flying forwards to hit him. Spinning, he grabbed her arm and used her own momentum to send her forwards.

And then still spinning, his hand shot out and caught something, sending the battlefield into stunned silence.

The Jester slowly turned to Kid Flash, the hero's throat held in his grasp, black and red armor dressing him as the teen struggled to remove himself from the turncoat's grip.

"I've had enough of that trick." Was all the Jester said coldly, mismatched eyes unfeeling, before bringing his other hand up to impale the Speedster through the chest, blood spurting out of his back.

"WALLY!" Beast Boy and Terra screamed, the others staring in shock at the two teenagers.

Kid Flash's eyes widened and he coughed up blood, before his head slowly began to fall, and he went limp, eyes closed.

Starfire blinked in pure shock, reaching a hand up to touch the blood that had landed onto her cheek. She shuddered before her eyes began glowing bright green, energy covering her entire body as she shot to her feet. " _Gluya'org nar'bor_!" She roared in her native tongue and flew towards the Jester with a dull 'whump' of the sound barrier breaking.

The traitor flicked his arm, sending Wally falling off and into Starfire's arms, the Tamaranian slowing in surprise as she caught the speedster's body, leaving her wide open as the Jester grabbed onto her own throat, and hefted her up, before slamming her down into the ground, Kid Flash's black-clad body tumbling away.

Starfire groaned in pain as the villain picked her up back up, before slamming her again. Then he picked her up, spun, and sent her flying away, Koriand'r's limp body disappearing far over the buildings and into the distance.

The Jester turned to his former comrades, eyes unfeeling as he began walking towards them.

"What are you?!" Beast Boy yelled out, voice choking up with emotion. "What do you want?! Why?! Why are you fighting us- why would you kill him- he was your comrade- your friend!"

The turncoat stopped. "...You ask why. What do you want? A monologue? I am not some super villain. I have already gained world domination, I've already gained the power of a god, I've already proven that I'm above heroes and villains. Sometimes, Gar, things just happen, and you never learn the reason." With that, he continued his advance, assessing the battlefield and the six combatants left, counting Cyborg if he could truly still fight.

"Beast Boy, stop," Robin said lowly climbing over one of the piles of rubble left by the Jester's heat beam attack. "That's not Ace anymore."

"No. No I'm not." The Jester said quietly, voice flat and emotionless.

Terra roared and lunged at him- only for him to swing out, backhanding the blonde to the ground.

He sighed, and some measure of emotion returned to his eyes. "See, that right there- that is just a perfect little _microcosm_ of what the year I spent with you guys was like. This… _fucking_ mastermind here just watched Starfire attempt the very same thing, before being chokeslammed into oblivion and tossed away like a bad meal. But, by some… Herculean leap in logic here, that we mere mortals could never hope to comprehend, she figured that it would totally work out IF SHE DID IT!" He clapped his hands together, a smile finally finding its way back to his face, as mirthless as it was. "Alright! Now that I have your ears as well as your spines, allow me to indulge myself… for but a moment, and tell you what I wanted to tell you the year I spent as a Titan… ahem… FUCK! ALL OF YOU!"

Robin glared and raised his voice before the Jester pointed down at Terra. "Say something. I dare you, I will curbstomp her so quickly, you won't even see it happening. See- see- do you have any idea what it was like fighting for you people? You're dimwitted, immature, worthless _wastes_ of heroes… I tried, you know. God knows I tried to be a hero. Do you- do you know how many times Beast Boy and Cyborg yelled 'Leroy Jenkins' before running into battle, only to get curbstomped by some two-bit supervillain? More than zero each! And honestly, that's grounds for the _extinction of the species_!" He sighed. "But, alas. That's all behind me. You're going to die here, just like Wally, and I'm going to be rid of this chapter in my life… forever."

He stepped forwards, one foot in front of the other, and bowed low, arms splayed out to his sides. "Round three, Titans… en garde."

Cyborg laughed, joining the semi-circle of heroes staring down the Jester and Terra. "At least we fight for something, _JJ_. At least we know what it's like to have something _worth_ fighting for… which is a helluva lot more than I can say for you."

The turncoat smirked. "And what can you say about me, Mr. Stone?"

" _Ooh, look at me, I'm the Jester, I have a super dark backstory and every decision I've ever made ends badly, and I'm a total mess with terrible role models like Quinn and Crane, but now I'm super cool and powerful, I have, like an invincible ego and super strength that can beat anybody and cover up my insecurities, and also, like, a super sweet world that screams Napoleon complex and Superman powers that, like, could kill Darkseid and break through anything, even, like, Wolverine claws and shit, because I am so awesome and cooool."_ Cy said in an annoying, falsetto voice.

The Jester, and everyone else for that matter, simply stared at the former football player.

The turncoat blinked. "Have you been… you've been in… you've heard my…" His eyes widened with each realization, and then began to fill with panic, and he placed his foot onto Terra's neck. "Anyone says anything else and I break her goddamn neck! I'll do it, I swear to God!"

The moment of levity gone, the Titans all tensed and became ready to spring forwards, either to save their comrade or continue the fight.

Except for Cyborg.

"Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but to me it sounds like: _'waah, mama Harley, the other kids are mean to me because I'm a psychopath and no one loves me and mah face is stuuupid."_

Quivering with rage, the Jester stepped back and punt kicked Terra in the abdomen, sending her flying to the side, before bolting towards Cyborg, tackling the hero, sending him into the asphalt, the Jester pushing Vic further and further, creating a trench as the duo finally stopped, an enormous pile of rubble sitting behind Cy as the Jester began furiously ripping into his former comrade's armor, wrenching white metal away and cracking glass, before reaching the wires beneath it all, and then began ripping them out too- before finally reaching the hero's core; his heart, sitting suspended by wires and pumps in the middle of his chest.

Vic stared in horror and pain at the Jester, reaching up in one last desperate attempt to ward the turncoat off, hand transforming into its cannon; before the psychopath grabbed the offending limb and wrenched, ripping it out of its socket before throwing it to the side. He stared down at his old friend before shaking his head, still quivering with rage. "I'll be back, Stone! You proud of yourself and your wit? You're gonna die last. As soon as-"

He got no further before a green ape appeared next to him suddenly, roaring as it grabbed the pseudo-Kryptonian and began slamming him around effortlessly, enormous hands grasping the villain's body entirely, easily. It swung and threw the clown to the side, sideways, sending him slamming into a building and then through the other wall, the enormous holes sending the brick building tumbling down with an ear-shattering roar.

Beast Boy transformed back quickly, dashing to his best friend. "Vic- Vic, Vic are you- talk to me- are you- are you-"

Cy chuckled weakly, not able to turn his head. "…I'm fine, B. But… you've gotta go… I'm gonna… divert power. Shut everything down. I'll be fine. Swear on my grandma's soul. Go. Kick his ass."

Beast Boy smiled and nodded, before turning into a t-rex, and stomping off in the direction of his enemy. Robin and Wonder Girl joined him, Raven dropping by to check on Cyborg.

"He alright?" Donna asked in concern.

Gar turned to her. "He's fine." Was all he rumbled out, before focusing on his search for the Jester.

Robin trudged alongside his enormous comrade, the Amazonian by him. "What did you do with him? Where could he-"

He was interrupted as the ground exploded out from beneath them, the Jester flying up into the unprotected belly of Beast Boy, hefting the dinosaur up and dumping him to fall onto his comrades.

The shapeshifter shifted into his regular form quickly, managing to only fall onto Donna, who managed to catch him before they both slammed into the ground. The green-skinned hero rubbed his midsection as the trio turned to the Jester.

The turncoat lifted his hands and slammed them down, making the ground itself shake, threatening to make the trio fall over altogether. "This-" He began, only to fly forwards as a black beam slammed into his back, sending him flying into the waiting grasp of Wonder Girl.

Donna grabbed the pseudo-Kryptonian around his arms and body, leaping up and flipping in midair to body slam him into the ground. She rolled with the impact, leapt, and did it again, finally releasing him.

Beast Boy flew into the air as a hawk, before transforming into a whale, squishing the Jester beneath him. The shapeshifter grinned in satisfaction, before his eyes widened and he slowly began to lift up, offering a glimpse of the Jester standing beneath the whale, legs bent and quivering with effort, hands raised to hold the shapeshifter up.

After a few moments, he held Beast Boy just high enough for the three teens, Raven joining them, to see the Jester's face, teeth grit together, blood coating his chin. The shapeshifter finally shifted, twisting out of the Jester's grasp, and the turncoat let out a gasp of relief.

He wasn't given long to recover, as the quartet all dashed at him in unison, throwing fists and bursts of magic.

And the Jester simply stood, taking it. After a few moments, Beast Boy transformed into an octopus, grabbed Wonder Girl by her ankle, and threw her at the psychopath, sending him flying. The heroes didn't push their advantage though, simply staring in confusion at their enemy.

Laying limply on the ground for a few moments, the Jester began chuckling, before pushing himself to his feet.

"See?" He asked huskily, wobbling in place for a moment before finding his balance. "No matter what you do… you can't beat me."

The Titans shared looks of concern as the Jester craned his neck to the side, popping it, before crouching low, in a runner's stance, and it took them a few minutes to realize; he was mocking Kid Flash.

Beast Boy roared and charged at him, preparing to shift, before the traitor dashed forwards, slamming into each Titans' shoulder and sending them spinning away.

Wonder Girl was the first to recover, whipping her lasso around to strike at the Jester. His hand struck out and caught it, wrapping it around his wrist as he yanked it out of the Amazonian's grasp. He swung it above his head before whipping it at Donna, wrapping it around her throat and dragging her towards him. He struck out with a punch and caught her in the nose, sending her stumbling back, before he repeated the action.

And then again.

Finally, he dragged her towards him again and kicked at one of her knees; making it bend backwards, drawing a wordless scream from her she fell to one knee, still clutching at the lasso wrapped around her throat, face turning purple.

"Hey," The Jester said lowly. "How's that for killing me?" He whipped her above his head with the lasso and slammed her into the ground, the Amazonian going limp.

He dropped the lasso and turned- only for a beeping sound to greet him; he looked down at his chest, a bomb stuck to his skin, and he sighed. "Always with the damn-"

The Jester was cut off as the explosive went off, smothering him in black clouds. Robin leapt forwards, saying a quick, silent thank you to Donna, and tackled him. "Now!" The Titans' leader roared, getting Beast Boy to move.

The shapeshifter flipped and leapt over Robin, hand turning into a gorilla's, and soundly smashed the Jester's face into the asphalt, burying the clown's head into the ground.

He barely finished the attack before two heat beams shot through the enormous hand, sending the shapeshifter stumbling away with a yelp of pain, looking at the two cauterized holes in his palm.

Robin turned as his friend stumbled away before turning back to the turncoat, catching a glimpse of Jester's smile before the villain flew upwards, Dick in his grasp. Flying high above the small town's buildings, just beneath the dark clouds, the Jester grinned; and dropped his fellow Gothamite, sending Robin plummeting back down to Earth.

And then Raven dashed up into the sky, catching him as he fell. " _Azarath metrion zinthos_!" She barked, thrusting a hand the Jester's way.

He blinked and stared at her. "Wha…" He trailed off at the sound of groaning behind him. The pseudo-Kryptonian turned over his shoulder- only for a building to slam down on to him from where it was hovering above, ripped off of its foundation by the Azarathian.

The building crumbled on top of the Jester, burying him under its ruins as Raven returned a slightly shaken Robin to the ground.

"You alright?" She asked, turning to BB. He nodded with a whimper, still holding his hand in pain.

The trio turned to the building. "What do we do?" She asked, narrowing purple eyes, waiting for the Jester to reemerge.

"We need to get back and get Terra," Robin said. "Four on one's… better than three on one." He trailed off into coughs, doubling over, Raven the only thing holding him up.

She nodded. "Gar. Take him back to Terra. Get her back up. I'll hold off Jester." _As long as I can,_ were the unspoken words. It was grim… but he had already killed one, possibly killed two others. She didn't know how long she could hold him off, if she even could, but it was worth it if it meant somehow stopping the monster.

Robin nodded and grabbed Beast Boy's shoulder, tugging him away as the shapeshifter looked to argue.

The duo gone, Raven turned her attention back to the pile of rubble as it began shifting.

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…" Beast Boy hissed under his breath as he and Robin feverishly searched for their blonde comrade.

"BB!" Robin called out, getting the shapeshifter's attention as he ran towards the road.

Kneeling- or, more appropriately, laying down- next to Wally's body was Terra, the blonde teen holding his head in her lap, crying silently.

"Terra, we have to go." Robin said.

"How could he?" She whispered.

"Terra!"

"He was our friend. He was good…"

" _Terra!_ "

She finally looked up, wiping tears from her eyes- at Beast Boy. The green-skinned hero's own eyes were welling it up with tears, Terra's words stirring similar thoughts in his own head, and he began looking weary and exhausted, before drawing himself back together. "The Jester's still out there. I know. I know. We can grieve, but we need to beat him first. Alright? We can't do it without you. Please. Please, please, _get up_."

Terra shakenly nodded and pushed herself to her feet with their help.

"Raven's holding him off, but I don't know how long for," Robin said quickly, running through an inventory of his utility belt, clutching his staff firmly in his hands. "We need to-"

" _I've had enough with this_!" The Jester yelled, before an enormous red explosion of energy rocked the street on the other side of the buildings, the ground itself trembling.

"Raven." Beast Boy whispered.

They were given no time to consider what had happened before the Jester soared up over the rooftops, searching with one red eye for the rest of his former teammates, looking worse for wear; covered in bleeding scratches and dirt, blood trailing down one side of his face from his hair line, forcing his right eye shut.

Finally spotting his enemies, his heat vision turned off and he slowly descended to the street walking towards the remaining three Titans. He raised four fingers.

"I'm four for four tonight, kids. Wanna make it five?"

No one answered.

"C'mon… no one wants to take an old sinner's bet?"

"Shove it." Beast Boy spat.

"That's more like it."

The Jester sped forwards- significantly slower than he had the entire fight, Robin realized with wide eyes- towards the trio, skidding to a stop with his shoes on the asphalt, arms outstretched to clothesline or tackle each of them. On instinct, Dick dove to the side, but Beast Boy threw Terra into the air, taking the brunt of the attack himself.

Grasping onto the Titan, the Jester turned, slamming him bodily into the store front next to them, shattering the display glass before tossing the shapeshifter up. He didn't dash up however, and simply let Gar fall to the ground- not high enough, nor fast enough to significantly hurt the hero.

But on an awkward enough angle for Beast Boy's arm to snap as he tried to catch himself.

Gar let out a pained scream as he writhed on the ground, holding his broken limb close to himself.

Wiping blood from his chin, the Jester began slowly approaching the shapeshifter, black hair falling around his head, masking a pale face whose makeup had long worn off.

"This is it, B," The Jester whispered. "You… you I hated the most. You were always… what's wrong with heroes, always. Everything that's wrong with them, you- you epitomize! Your happiness, and optimism, and- and naivete!" He kicked Beast Boy in the ribs, sending the shapeshifter flying to the other side of the street. Terra tried to stumble to her feet, but Robin pulled her back down, quickly whispering out a game plan to her.

"You're all that's wrong in the world! You don't know pain! You don't know struggle, you don't know reality! You're a caricature of a human being, and I will right that ceaseless wrong now!"

"You're wrong…" Beast Boy muttered, slowly shifting to his feet, holding his arm to his side. "I do know pain. Before I was a hero, I was laughed at. I had no friends. I was a freak. And I hated it… I hated them. I hated the world… what kind of… what kind of sick world, or creator, would do something like that to anyone? But then… I became a hero… and nothing changed. The Doom Patrol… I was always second rate to them. I was just… the kid they needed to do the heavy lifting. I wasn't a hero to them… so I left… and then… and then… and then I met the Titans… and everything changed. I helped save Jump with them. And I made friends, and I found a place where I was loved and happy… you're wrong… I do know pain," He looked up with enraged eyes. "I just learned to overcome it. Un. Like. You."

The Jester stopped before his old friend, staring down at him. "Hm. That's not _pain_. That's inconvenience. I know pain. So, Garfield… allow me to show you my pain."

He grabbed the back of the teen's head and brought his knee up, slamming it into Beast Boy's face with a sickening crunch and splurt of blood. And then he did it again, and again, and again, before finally stepping back and planting the sole of his shoe squarely into the shapeshifter's face, sending him tumbling backwards.

"Terra, no!"

The Jester leapt to the side as Terra came crashing down next to him, a cavalcade of rocks joining her, forcing the Gothamite to retreat further and further away.

"Dammit, Terra!" Robin barked, shooting to his feet to join her, bo staff held in his hands.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't… I couldn't watch him do it. I couldn't watch Gar die." She whispered.

The Jester stared impassively at them, thoughts now removed from Beast Boy entirely.

"Fine then. You two first."

Terra and Robin shared a tired look before nodding together, dashing at the Jester.

The former went left, ripping a column of rock to swing at him out of the ground, while the latter went right, flipping to hit him with his bo staff. The villain spun, dodging the column while grabbing Robin's staff, flinging him away. Finishing his spin, he back handed Terra, sending the duo flying in opposite directions, Beast Boy slowly recovering on the other side of the road.

Terra was the first to recover, dashing at him with determination on her face, picking multiple pieces of rubble to join her attack.

The Jester crouched low in a fighting stance and struck out, shattering each rock before finally reaching the girl herself, leaping up and over her, catching her hair and sending her flying down the street again.

"Terra!" Beast Boy barked, rising to his feet before falling again, letting out a growl of pain.

"We can't get close to him like this…" Robin muttered, clutching his bo staff tightly as he waited for an opportunity.

Terra rolled with the fall, thinking the same thing to herself. She grit her teeth together. "But we can't let it end… not like this."

Clutching her hands into fists, she dashed forwards again, Robin joining her charge from the other side.

Eyes flitting to both combatants, the Jester went limp, and then began dodging each strike they threw as they reached him, trying anything to hit the pseudo-Kryptonian, his hands occasionally shooting out to shatter a rock Terra had wrenched from the ground.

The Jester leapt over Terra and caught Robin's hand, looking to slam him into the ground- before his vision blurred momentarily, eye widening, giving Terra the opportunity to hit him with a rock, smashing him into the storefront.

The turncoat immediately recovered, catching Robin by the throat and bodily throwing him across the street, through the building, and to the other side, effectively taking him out of the fight for a few moments.

"One more!" Terra cried out, dashing forwards, fists raised, as two columns of rock and asphalt erected on either side of him.

The Jester struck out, shattering both of them, before catching her as she fell for the punch.

He leapt, flipping over her to slam her into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust as a crater opened up beneath them.

The Jester straightened to his feet, huffing in exertion, preparing to turn his attention to Beast Boy. After a few moments, she began dragging herself to her feet, tiredly, _weakly_. The Jester turned quickly and stared at her, face impassive, but eyes filled with surprise.

Terra began dragging herself towards the Jester, arm wrapped around her midsection as she attempted to reach her opponent. And then she fell, planting face first into the ground.

Both Beast Boy and the Jester stared at her, eyes not leaving her as she weakly attempted to push herself back up, legs shaking and tears filling her eyes, for several long moments of struggle, before she lurched forwards again.

"Stop… please…" Gar whispered, eyes filling with tears of their own as he watched her.

She began picking up pace as she continued to lurch forwards, teeth gritting together, as she filled with determination. A slight smile crossed her face, before she fell again, a few meters short of the Jester.

And then she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and began crawling towards the Jester, face wrenched in pain.

The Jester stared at her. "…Why?" He asked quietly, voice little more than a deep whisper, face not showing his shock. "Why would someone… as weak as you… try to stop me? _Why would you fight me?_ When you know… you'll only die." There was no menace in his words; only shock and confusion.

Her hands glowed with energy as she rose to her feet. She whimpered as tears starting falling anew down her face. "Because…" She turned to Beast Boy, giving him a sad smile. "'Because… you know… that's what heroes do.'" Her smile grew slightly as she quoted Gar's firsts words to her, his eyes opening widely as she shot to her feet with all of her strength, two glowing fists thrown at the Jester.

And then he threw her into the air.

High. High enough to reach the dark clouds, silver clad form twirling limply in the air, blonde hair whipping about her, before she began to plummet back to Earth.

Beast Boy watched in horror as his friend fell, turning- turning until she was falling head first, gaining speed.

His eyes widened. " _TERRA_!"

Crash.

The two combatants left were absolutely silent, as they stared at Terra's limp body; one waiting to see if she would move, and one hoping.

She didn't move.

Beast Boy slowly felt the shock turn to absolute rage. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He roared, moving to his feet with a surge of energy.

"That!" The Jester yelled back. "That is my pain! That is actual, real pain! That is my life! You know _nothing_ , Garfield!" He charged forwards to meet the shapeshifter.

Who disappeared.

The turncoat slid to a stop. "…What the-"

He trailed off at a buzzing in his ear and managed to just barely turn, fast enough to knock Gar out of it, before BB turned into an ox, not stopping his momentum as he charged forwards to meet the Jester.

The clown dug his feet into the ground as he held the ox's horns in his hands, Beast Boy not stopping the movement of his feet, trying to gore his enemy, before finally giving up, quickly shifting into a viper and lashing out at him.

The Jester, slowing down as he was, was still fast, turning out of the way of the attack and catching the viper by the neck, only for the bottom half of his body to turn into a squid's, tentacles lashing out to drag the psychopath from his feet, releasing his death grip on the serpent's throat.

Beast Boy didn't let up, turning back into his normal form and diving at his former teammate, turning into an elephant as he moved to trample the Jester, who dove out of the way quickly, firing dual heat beams at the shapeshifter, only to miss as he disappeared again.

The Jester scowled at the repeated trick and turned in a full circle, breathing out a torrent of frost breath, catching Beast Boy in it and freezing the bug solid. Gar quickly transformed, shattering the block of ice as a lion leapt out of the air and tackled the villain to the ground. The Jester rolled with the attack and used his legs to flip the lion over his head, sending Beast Boy, transformed back into himself, sliding across the ground, hands and feet digging into the asphalt.

"When I kill you," Beast Boy growled. "I'm going to bring you back, somehow, along with Terra so we can kill you again together."

"'When I kill you'? That's awfully optimistic considering how this day's turned out for the rest of your friends." The Jester said with a mirthless chuckle.

"Trust me. This will be nothing like how we've been fighting you."

"And pray tell, lover boy. How so?"

"Because I have something to fight for!" With that, Beast Boy charged at him, hands transformed into claws.

The Jester parried the claws away, leaning back out of the way of a cobra striking at his throat, hitting Beast Boy with his palm and sending the Titan sliding backwards. The shapeshifter didn't let up, dashing at him again, leaping up to catch him with the claws on his feet, spinning with tentacles on his arms as he caught the clown's hands, leaving him open.

The turncoat leapt, taking the Titan with him as he narrowly dodged the strikes, moving to slam the hero into the ground, only for Gar to shift again, turning into a mouse to avoid the slam for a split second before transforming back, a rhino's head replacing his own as he attempted to gore his enemy.

Again, the Jester used his flight, avoiding the horn entirely as he dodged, before throwing a lightning quick haymaker, the shapeshifter narrowly dodging before ducking in close, hands claws and his head a wolf's, snapping at the clown's throat as the villain's eyes went ever wider, firmly on the defensive, narrowly parrying the claws attempting to rip at his chest, catching deep gouges on his arms in the meanwhile.

Punch, block, punch, parry, counter, block, dodge, parry, counter, punch, block; the two teens went back and forth unyieldingly, the dull wounds of thudding and muscle on muscle filling the street as they continued to dance around each other, each of their strikes dodged and parried, before the other went on the offensive.

The Jester threw a dagger-like jab, narrowly parried by Beast Boy who jumped back, teeth grit together as he lunged back at his opponent, hands in the forms of claws as he swung repeatedly at the turncoat, leaping over him to try and flank him, the Jester now simply blocking and parrying each strike thrown, simultaneously leaping over one of Beast Boy's legs turning into a couple of tentacles, while ducking the viper strike of Beast Boy's head.

Beast Boy roared as he shifted total back to normal, and threw a punch with all of his might-

Only for the Jester to catch it, the already broken limb crumpling and shattering even further.

Gar fell to his knees, yelling in pain as the adrenaline failed to cover up the agony any longer.

"Well, it's been fun, BB," The Jester taunted, bringing his free hand up. "But I'm currently seven for seven, and it looks like this is the end of the line. To put it in the vocabulary of you and Cy…" He narrowed his hand like a dagger, preparing to jab at his final former teammate. "GAME! _OVER_!"

He threw his hand forwards, and impaled Terra with a scream of pain.

The two teens stared at Terra, the blonde girl planted firmly on the Jester's hand before he stepped back in shock, letting her fall to land in Beast Boy's hands. He turned, wide eyed, to the crunching of dirt as Robin rejoined the battlefield; beaten, broken, but still alive- and in as much shock as the other two combatants.

Beast Boy caught Terra as she fell, bleeding profusely from her chest, laying limp in the green-skinned hero's arms. "Terra!" He cried out, voice thick with grief.

She chuckled weakly as she turned to him. "Heh… whattaya know? You were… going… to break… the promise… you… asshole… heh… beat… beat ya… to it…" Her eyes closed and her head fell again, going absolutely lifeless.

Beast Boy brought his hands up to her face. "No. Nonono _nononono_ …" He trailed off into tearful ramblings, simply repeating ' _no_ ' under his breath, holding the girl close to his chest.

The Jester finally managed to shake his shock off. "Huh. How did she… she was dead! Ha, going to have to mention that one in my recording for today: 'the power of love may cause death to fail!'"

The remaining two Titans turned their faces to him in shock and horror.

He caught the looks and slowly dropped his hands, slight smile fading. "You're gonna make me say it, aren't you? _Fine!_ I'm sorry I killed your waifu that you already thought was dead, but in my defense, she jumped in front of me! If anything, _I'm_ the victim here!" He smiled as he continued to rile up the shapeshifter.

"You… bastard…" Beast Boy growled, Robin seething with hate as he joined the shapeshifter, the duo preparing for battle, Gar gently placing Terra's body out of the way of the fight.

The taunting smile on the Jester's face grew to a satisfied one. "There we go, get some last fire in your bellies; hell, I may be able to finish this thing off right!"

Beast Boy lurched forwards… and slowly, _weakly_ , swung a fist, the Jester easily sidestepping it. Gar went for another, with the same results. And another.

The former Titan sighed, right eye firmly clasped shut again, blood still pouring down his face. "You two… are just determined to ruin this for me, aren't you?" He punched the shapeshifter squarely in the face, sending him flying down the street. He grabbed Terra and spun, throwing her down with him, till they both disappeared out of sight behind a pile of rubble. He turned to Robin, the leader huffing in exhaustion, staff held weakly in one hand, the other holding his midsection, doubled over, and huffing in exhaustion, one eye closed. He smiled weakly, around the blood coating the bottom half of his face. He was starting to feel the strain. "I know… this isn't how you saw this battle going, _but_ your fate was sealed… when you decided to finally challenge me. You're gonna have to accep…t what _everyone_ else already has… I am… the God… of this world."

With that, he sent a fist flying towards the left side of his chest, fully intent on ripping his fellow Gothamite's heart out- only for Robin to bring his staff up to block it, the steel thrumming with energy.

 _'_ _Kryptonium?!'_ The Jester hissed inwardly, feeling the familiar radioactive material. He didn't get a chance to process it however, as Robin straightened up, forgetting his injuries for the time being, momentary strength surging through him.

Robin roared, and spun ungracefully, swinging his bo staff with all his might, the metal shaft catching on the Jester's chin- and snapping in half, the psychopath turning with the blow, mismatched eyes going unfocused as he spun from the shot. The last Titan standing didn't let up in his offensive, letting out another emotion-ridden battle cry as he slammed the remaining half of his staff into the Jester's nose, a splurt of blood rewarding him as the dictator stumbled backwards, arms flailing to keep his balance.

"JUST DIE!" Robin screamed, and leapt, spinning, steel boot landing cleanly on the Jester's temple. The psychopath stumbled backwards again, teetering, before his foot hit the edge of a pile of rubble from the street, making him lose his balance as the Titan leader fell to a knee in exhaustion.

He shook his head and mustered all of his energy, willing his exhausted muscles to push himself back up one more time, leaping into the air with a final, cracking yell, foot catching under the Jester's jaw and sending him into the air as well. Spinning with the blow, Robin whipped the remains of his cape out behind him, sending him flying forwards just enough- enough so that he could slam his forearms into the Jester's head and throat, sending the dictator falling further towards the peak of the pile of rubble, legs hanging over one side, while his head hung over the other.

Robin backed up quickly, adrenaline and instincts primarily fueling him now as he stumbled to a ready position, hands balled into fists.

The Jester chuckled weakly, attempting to turn onto his stomach, gloved hands digging into the rubble. "H… Hold on a minute… ya… ya bastard… let me…" He struggled to push himself to his feet before collapsing back into the rubble. "Fuckin'… clouds… let the goddamn… sun in… just… give me a…" He let his head loll back with a groan.

Robin stared at the Jester for a few moments before pain began shooting into his mind. His vision blurred and he swayed, stumbled, and then outright fell onto the destroyed asphalt road. He stared at the clouds hazily for a few moments of silence.

"Did we win?" Cyborg asked weakly from the side, getting Dick to turn his head towards his fallen friend. All of Victor's lights, aside from his eye, were out; he must have diverted power from the rest of his systems to his vital organs. Smart man. The eldest hero was little more than a pile of torn white metal leaning against a larger pile of rubble though, and the scene made Robin's heart skip a beat.

"…Yeah." Robin finally managed.

There was a hum of energy, and Starfire slowly floated down towards her team. She stopped next to Robin and kneeled down next to him tiredly.

He attempted to reach up, and wipe the blood cascading down her face, covering one side of it. "You're bleeding…" He said quietly, relief and happiness flooding his body that she had made it. She looked certainly worse for wear, purple clothes tattered, silver armor broken, hair disheveled, orange skin bruised, dirtied, and covered in blood- but still alive.

"I believe you are worse off." She whispered, placing a hand on his chest. The Titans simply stared at each other for a few moments-

Before the Jester's chuckling interrupted them. The psychopath had managed to push himself up onto his elbows and stare out at his fallen foes. "That's just great," He said between pained chuckles. "…Look at the… lovebirds. So… so happy for you. But, what, uh… about the other lovebirds?" The duo's faces fell in horror in unison, bringing a satisfied grin to the dictator's face. "That's… what I thought. Go on then… show Beast Boy what love looks like, eh? Selfish… pricks. Right in front of him… and his dead girlfriend."

"She's not dead you bastard."

Beast Boy slowly dragged himself over a pile of rubble, and in his arms was Terra herself, chest absolutely covered in blood, but bandaged up, surprisingly.

"What, kiddo?" The Jester managed. "Ya sew her up? Heh, you'll need a little bit more than that. Last time I checked… I stabbed her in the goddamn lung, and threw her a couple stories in the air for her to land on her head… which… she did. Trust me. If she isn't dead now… eh… give it a few minutes."

"She's not dead." Beast Boy repeated, glowering at the turncoat.

"She's not." Raven repeated following after the shapeshifter, throwing the Jester for a loop. He'd absolutely smashed her, and had released so much energy with that final attack of his heat beams that he couldn't even finish the fight, bully on him.

More bitter chuckles from the psychopath. "I knew you could _heal_ , Rae, but bringing someone back from death's door… that's a new miracle even for you."

"Call it a miracle then…" Terra muttered quietly, barely even audible to Gar and Raven.

The Jester's good eye widened in shock. "No fucking way," The shock slowly waned and he let his head go limp again. "…Yeah. That's heroes for ya. Always have been hard to kill." And incredibly lucky. To think; if he hadn't thrown her to the side with Gar, she would've died, and his kill count would've been more than one- assuming, on the off hand, that Wonder Girl hadn't made it.

"Like you'd know…" Beast Boy spat.

"Hey, believe it or not, I was a 'good guy' for a few months… it's… like you get lady luck personally… on your side."

"Like hell you were," Robin said, voice little more than a growl. "You said it yourself. Everything you do's a lie. Left to go live with Lilith? A lie to get to me. Wanting to join the Titans? A lie to get yourself…" He faltered as weakness flooded his body. "A lie to get yourself onto our side so you could stab us in the back."

The Jester sighed, shifting so that he fell from his perch on top of the pile of rubble- making the Titans jump in shock as he did. But all the psychopath did was slide down his pile so that he was sitting up against it, looking at his former team with one cold blue eye. "There's… so much bullshit in that statement… god… you're really going to make me do this, aren't you? Alright then… _story time it is_."

"Like we want to hear anything from you." Cyborg growled out weakly.

"Well, between you, me, Robin, Wonder Girl, and Beast Boy, and _apparently Terra,_ we are cumulatively on the brink of death. If Star and Rae fly, I think they might just explode, mores the pity. No one's coming for us, so… I think we're here for a bit… ' _sides_ … don't you want an explanation?"

Victor glared at the Jester, but said nothing else.

"Alright then… that's what I thought. Anyone got any questions to start?" No one reacted. "Fine… Robin… to answer your _bullshit_ prerogative, I didn't leave with Lil just to get to you. I wanted… _I wanted to walk away_ , so badly. Just… forget all about it. But I couldn't… so I did what I thought I had to do."

"You thought you had to throw away our friendship? Don't give me that crap. I can see through you." Robin shot back.

"You think you can. You think… that you're some… _goddamn Batman_ , who can figure everything out yourself. _You're not_. I saw my life going downhill in a way that I didn't want it to… so… I tried to get something out of it for myself. That's it. One last… desperate ploy to come out ahead in _that_ shitshow."

Beast Boy scowled. "So, what? You turned on your girlfriend and your friends, attacked Alfred and tried to blackmail the League? _Because you didn't want to lose_?"

"That was my thought process, yes."

"God I hate you so damn much."

The Jester chuckled emotionlessly. "Hey… in my defense, I was a wired ball of nerves. I couldn't even see straight without the Joker telling me, in my head, that I was actually… looking to the side. On that… y'know…" He trailed off, staring off into space with… _regret_ on his face.

Starfire and Robin shared a look.

"Y'know… Ace _was_ real." The psychopath finally said, quietly, as if he didn't want to.

A chorus of 'whats' and disbelief was fired his way.

"Thatsa bullshit…" Terra muttered, still not able to muster the energy to raise her gaze from the ground.

"The League wiped my memory. They totally just... _factory defaulted_ me… that happened. They won out… in the end. And I followed you, Dick, on a compulsion, because I _knew_ you. I knew… that… that you were the key to whoever I was. So I followed you. And then… you made the Titans… how did that start anyways? Did you just… call a few teenagers together and make a super team?"

Robin stared at his nemesis for a few moments before averting his eyes, angry that he was even conversing with the madman. "…It was just a coincidence. I had a fight with Bruce then left, because… I wanted to actually do something productive. Not just… be his sidekick. When I got to Jump, they were all there too. We came together and saved the city, then they commissioned us the Tower."

"Remember Cy's sweater?" Beast Boy said weakly with a chuckle.

Victor returned it, just as weakly. "And how they gave us the 'Teen Titans' nickname? Raven hated it."

"I still do." The telepath muttered.

The Jester stared at his former team for a few moments, before chuckling quietly. "So then… Mad Mod happened. That's how I got my memories back. The psycho Brit kinda… won out in the end, didn't he?"

Robin turned his glare back on, and stared hard at his old teammate. "So then what? You just… decided to betray us? Wait for your perfect opportunity?"

"No. This is what I meant… Ace was real. I tried, _so damn hard_ , to be the Ace you guys knew. I… _wanted_ to be a hero. I _wanted_ to be a good guy. I wanted to see what the other side was like, and, y'know… maybe, _just maybe_ … I could make something out of it. But…"

"But me…" Terra muttered.

The Jester nodded weakly. "She reminded me of what… a hero's _actual_ cost is. Actually… _Slade_ contacted me. Gave me a _lot_ of money to _take you guys out_. But, y'know… after he died… I didn't need to. I was just going to… _disappear_. You guys wouldn't hear from me again. But then Terra… I needed to do _something_."

"I am not following…" Starfire said quietly.

"Course… you're not. Again… everything went to shit for me. I lost more friends… I lost my second chance at a good life… all I could think about was… that all of the hard work I'd done should've had rewards, right? Something had to have come out of that… so I made sure I got something out of that."

"The entire damn world? Anarchy? That's… insanity." Wonder Girl said, limping back to what was the battlefield. Her leg was straightened out, two long, thin pieces of rubble held together by the fabric that had been covering her leg, holding the aforementioned limb together as a makeshift splint. One hand was helping guide her along, while the other was rubbing her neck, trying to ease the pain and stress out.

The Jester bowed his head, not surprised that the Amazonian had made it. "Yeah… yeah… but that wasn't really the plan. I turned... _gah_ … on you guys. I imprisoned the Society, or _whatever the hell_ their name was… and I couldn't just _stop there_. You guys were going to… stop me. _I knew it_. So, I had to prepare. And _that_ … involved setting myself up to come out ahead. AKA… Lex Luthor."

"Huh…" Terra muttered. "He helped me out."

The Jester let out a bark of a laugh that immediately turned to a coughing fit. "… _Of course he did_. But… he and I came up with a plan, at the start anyways. He would… help me get the power to topple the good guys, and he would reap the rewards. I got my safety, and he got… his influence. _Shoulda been a win-win_ …"

"So why wasn't it?" Raven asked flatly.

"Because I… I got _scared_. If I did what I was going to do… the League would come after me. And then I'd be the _most wanted man on the planet_."

Robin adjusted in his spot, not drawing his hateful gaze from his old friend. "So you conquered the world… because you were afraid?"

"That was my thought process, yes. Hey… when we were finalizing the plan, I stopped sleeping _altogether_. I just… couldn't. Pills didn't help, _nothing did_. I just… _stopped_. Screw the Joker, by the time I razed New York, I thought I saw the face of _God_ … Turned out to just be a mirror… quite an ego boost. See, and that's where it just… continually went _further_ , and _further_ downhill."

"That's the one thing I don't get…" Robin muttered. "Why _did_ you send the world into anarchy?"

"Y'know… I don't even remember."

" ** _WHAT_**?!"

The Jester laughed bitterly. "Oh god, no! Could you imagine… two years, and _that's_ what I give you?! Hahaha, _no_ … I… just _lost control_. Everything… I did just… had two more negative consequence for the positive one I'd been shooting for… Took down the UN to show that the status quo had changed… world takes it as an _a-okay to just burn shit and kill people_. Make a… deal with the villains to help police everything… they take it as an _a-okay to just burn shit and kill people_. No, it was just, like… every month it was _something new_. And it got to the point that I simply… couldn't keep up with it."

"Wait… so… you destroyed society… _because you panicked_?!" Cyborg asked in disbelief, anger flooding back to his voice.

"Oh, you know… it's a tale as old as politics itself. One man with a lot of power begins to feel threatened, the good guys get on his tail… his only ally is threatening to turn on him… so you panic and work for three weeks straight trying to relatively… _fix_ everything that you messed up in the first place. Like I said. Stopped sleeping. Unfortunately… in your sleep deprived state, you accidentally give a lot of power to the… _literal_ worst people on the planet, and the go-ahead to do _what they want_!"

Starfire's eyes widened. "Wait… did you say _'accidentally'_?"

" _Next thing you know_ ," The Jester continued, ignoring her outright. "You're dealing… with a never ending stream of _heroes_ and _revolutionaries_ , and civilians are dropping like _flies_ … at this point, any sane man would simply… lock the bad guys up, free all the heroes I'd captured-"

"Wait the what now?" Wonder Girl asked in disbelief.

"-and simply… turn myself in before _anyone else_ got hurt. I… did not do that. Instead, I doubled, tripled, and _quadrupled_ down. So… _yeah_."

Robin grit his teeth together. "So let me get this straight; you've been acting like this is your master plan, when it was actually just a spiraling series of events that you just… lost control of?"

"That was my thought process, yes."

"What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?" Terra muttered, too quiet for anyone but the Jester to hear.

"Hey, cut me some slack, okay? I was… at the point of mental atrophy that my thought process was _literally_ … 'everything will end up better for me if I keep the planet in a _death grip_ than if… I do the right thing and put everything back into place'. Let me tell you; _five hundred hours of continuous consciousness_. You people cannot… _begin_ to comprehend that."

"So… I don't get it," Beast Boy grumbled. "Why did you think you'd be in less trouble if you doubled down?'

The Jester stared blankly at his former team. "…Do you guys remember those first… _few_ months where _forty million people died_?"

" _Oh_."

"Yeah. I figured, if I stuck this thing out… y'know, if I _had enough time_ , I could start… making this right. I wanted to do city-states, or some… _hysterical_ _crap_ like that. Y'know, start putting things back in order… _restore_ order. You know… despite everything… I've never really _wanted_ to hurt anybody outside the heroes."

"Forty million. You did _nothing_." Raven deadpanned.

"We have already _covered this, Rae_ \- I am not exactly the picture of grace under fire. Also… a lot of those guys were in _Russia_ and _North Korea_ , that's, like… a freebie. But, I mean… as long as this _slow-motion train wreck_ kept going, I could stop the next forty million from dying… and use you guys as hostages in case the Green Lanterns came after me… long enough to figure a way out of this mess…" The last words were spoken with nervous chuckles. "…Not that I… ever came up with one."

The Titans all sat quietly for a few moments, simply staring around. The teens could almost, _almost,_ imagine the seven of them sitting around in the Tower on a lazy Sunday, doing the same exact thing.

"On that sobering note," The Jester said, reclining against his pile of rubble. "…I guess I've lost, huh?"

"Yeah." Was all Robin said.

"Well… I guess that means that Clark and the others'll get a… _whiff_ of this and come find us. Which means that I'm going away for a very… _very_ long time. Hm. Well… if someone could knock me out so I could go scream into that uncaring void for a bit, that would be great," No one moved, and the Jester sighed. "Yeah… I thought so."

Starfire frowned. "This may be strange, coming from someone you just attempted to kill, but… are you alright? You have gone from cold-blooded murder to... baring your heart to us."

"Wha? Me? No, _I'm fine_ , I'm just watching my entire life's work literally crumble before my very eyes, I've lost all my friends, everything I've worked for has blown up in my face, and I'm going to go to prison. Probably forever. But, naw, _I'm fine_. Not like it could get much worse..."

And on cue, the rumble of an engine appeared in the background, rapidly getting louder.

The Jester and Robin both blinked and perked up at the familiar sound. The former closed his eye and sighed again. "Can't say it's been nice knowing you guys, but honestly… I'm a little bit happy that this shitshow is finally over."

A black blur appeared from one side of the street, and the Batmobile screeched to a stop. The ceiling of the cab slid open and the Batman hopped out, exuding his presence and sending the teens into silence.

Bruce was thin, that was easy to tell even with his body covered head to toe in his armor; his cheeks were sunken, face sporting a rough stubble, and skin paler than either Gothamite could ever recall it being.

He took in the scene for a few moments before lifting his wrist to his mouth. "Superman. We've got him. Sending my coordinates now."

" _No need._ "

A few beats of silence, and then Superman himself was heralded by a blur of blue. The Kryptonian looked much healthier than his human counterpart, but his blue eyes hardened at the sight of the Jester laying limply against the rubble. The psychopath, for his part, didn't even look up or open his own eyes.

"I'll take him in," Superman said lowly. "Get these kids to safety. They've earned it."

"Most of us, uh…" Beast Boy said, wobbling to his feet with Terra in his arms. "Can't move. At all. And…" Their attention all turned to the fallen body of Wally West, and it began to connect for the heroes that the Speedster was well and truly gone. "He's…

The Jester chuckled, voice returning to its cold, unfeeling tone from the battle. "Looks like I've got the last laugh."

" _Shut up._ " Was the livid response from the teens.

"Ha. Ha."

* * *

 _"_ _Ha."_

The Jester sat quietly in his cell, staring forwards blankly, one eye nearly swollen shut. He'd truthfully been hoping that it was just a minor injury, but no dice. The doctor nearly had cut his eyelid open to see before the teen had stopped him. There was absolutely _no chance_ that the man had wanted to do so for any reason other than bitter revenge.

Honestly, the Jester wouldn't have blamed him.

The cell he sat in was the only one in the tattered remains of the JCPD building, sitting at the end of the hall. Almost perfectly, so he could stare down emptily at everyone who passed by the door at the other side and sent him a withering glare, shooting never-compromising rage at the boy who had tried his damnedest to destroy the world.

Honestly, the Jester wouldn't have blamed them.

Then the one man that the Jester wouldn't have believed would show up in a million years stepped into the hall.

Lex Luthor was dressed sharply in a three piece black suit, a white shirt with a green tie. His face was a solemn, stony glare- but his dark eyes were filled with smug superiority.

And then the Jester did the one thing Lex wouldn't have imagined he would in a million years. He smiled and clapped.

The teenager rose to his feet and began clapping with vigor. His smile wasn't manic or bitter, the billionaire- or, former billionaire at the moment- couldn't even say that it didn't reach the Jester's eyes. It did. It was just a happy, appraising smile.

"Well done!" The Jester called out, visible blue eye bright. "Bloody fucking well done!"

"Why thank you." Was Lex's smug response.

"You fucking did it. You came out ahead in the end, holy shit. I just… I can't even… good fucking god. Well goddamn done."

"You didn't make it difficult."

The Jester chuckled kind heartedly. "Oh, now _that's_ what I was expecting! That smug goddamn grin. You know, I wasn't expecting to see it till the trial, but y'know, I think I'm alright with that."

Lex stopped before the psychopath's door, hands buried in his pockets. "How's it feel?"

Sitting back down, the Jester chuckled again. "You know, it's pretty shitty, I'm not gonna lie. It's different when your old friends are kicking the shit out of you and just... _sitting here_ ," He sat on the edge of his bed and stared up in curiosity at his former ally. "Tell me, how did you do it?"

"Like I said. It wasn't difficult. I believe your _old friend_ Terra figured it out; you were spread so far out that anything subtle just slipped right under your radar. Getting the girl out? Easy. A sorceress could slip right into your seat of power and get her out, and there's no way you would notice."

"That's bloody fantastic, I've gotta say. What else did you do?"

"Lead the Titans to Terra, gave the League your coordinates during your little final showdown with the Titans, freed the Society-"

"That was you?! Sonuvabitch, haha!"

"Along with quite a bit more. Not to mention giving hope to the masses. Even after your stunt with D.C.- actually, _especially_ after your stunt with D.C., it wasn't hard to give them a cause to rally around."

"So that makes you, what, the President?"

"In time… more than likely."

The Jester laughed again. "Brilliant, Lex. Bloody brilliant. How long do you think that'll take?"

"I doubt it matters for you. There's a place down south- Belle Reve Penitentiary. No one gets out. Ever. You're going to go away… probably forever. A little… talk with the judge, maybe a testimony at your trial, and you'll disappear there until the day you die."

The Jester rose to his feet again. "So, don't you want a little info in return? I doubt you came here just to gloat… well, you could've. But Mr. President has more important things to attend to than that, I'd imagine."

"Just one thing, if you don't mind."

"Can't say I do."

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what? You're going to have to be a little bit more specific than that."

"We had a deal, as you know. But you took my end of the bargain and simply ran with it. Why? I can't imagine a boy like yourself, at the time at least, wanting anything more than to take my deal."

"See, that's the problem with your kind. You think money runs the world. It doesn't. Ambition does. You don't think I have ambition? Because I'm a 'boy'? That's your first mistake. After that," He chuckled. "I just couldn't get enough. Why stop at killing heroes when I could take their spot? Why take their spot, when I could take the world? It all just… made sense. Admittedly, I forgot the important part of the whole ordeal of killing a snake; make sure its head is removed. But, hey, I left an opening for you. No bones on that. I'm just… congrats, Lex. Congrats."

"Funny, your old friends told me you told them a different story. That it was all just a mistake. That you panicked."

The Jester tilted his head, smiling still. "Maybe I told them what they wanted to hear. Maybe I told you what you wanted to hear. Maybe… maybe… maybe I just like to have multiple stories. After all… if you _have_ to have a story… why not make it multiple choice?"

Lex stared at the teen, dark eyes appraising. "Hm. I suppose it's what could be expected of you and your kind. That's all I wanted to know. No need to gloat to a _boy_ when I've already won."

"And win you did. Congratulations, Mr. Lex Luthor. Good game." The Jester rose and bowed to the billionaire.

Luthor stared at the boy for a minute before adjusting his tie, turning on his heel to leave. "Mercy. Come along." There was a movement in the shadows, and a woman joined the billionaire leaving the room.

The Jester stared after him for a moment before sitting back down on his bed.

"Well played. Well played… well played…" His muttering trailed off incoherently.

* * *

 **-Months Later-**

"In the case of Arkham Inmate 21400, Blackgate Inmate 7814, real name unknown, alias… The Jester-"

The tiny volunteer jury remained tensely quiet. The people sitting in the stands behind the aforementioned Jester, however, booed raucously.

The judge gave the bystanders a flat gaze before turning back to his paper in front of him. "Vs… well… the world."

The Jester sat ramrod straight in his chair, his appointed… "public defender" sitting casually next to him. The defendant on the other side snorted in derision. "Can we get this charade over with?"

The judge leaned forwards, over his table, towards the plaintiffs. "Despite the… extraordinary circumstances behind this hearing, this is still, and forever will be, the _United States of America-"_ A pause to let the bystanders finish cheering loudly. "As such, we will recognize the inherent rights that make this land a truly free place. Even against someone like the Jester. Aside from that… the entire world, and I mean that with no exaggeration, is watching, sir. Have a sense for flair. We will have our justice, but we will have it our way… not his way."

The Jester, for his part, didn't even physically react to the statement; simply continued staring aimlessly forwards.

* * *

The prosecuting attorney was right about one thing; the entire hearing was an absolute charade. A, in the almost _piteous_ public defender's whispered opinion, _debacle_ of justice.

If he _had_ any hope at all, the Jester would've felt it deflate with every witness that meandered their way to the stand, the absolute _boredom_ , carefully hidden to most people, on the judge's face, the ever worsening scowls on the jury's faces.

The Jester's heart threatened to give out entirely when Robin, still in full costume and requiring the aid of one of the cops, or acting marshals maybe more appropriately, stepped up to the stand and gave an absolute emotionally devastated recollection of his experience alongside the criminal, from their first meeting to their final battle.

The Jester _almost_ smiled when Lex took the stand to an uproar from the bystanders and delivered a perfectly executed, and _definitely_ rehearsed, speech on the crimes of the teen, the corruption of power, and the indomitable spirit of not only America, but the human race in general.

If the Jester was feeling particularly bitter, or even felt like it would accomplish anything, he would've pointed out that the only way he had gotten _anything_ done was with Luthor's help. Lex knew the teen could've done it, and didn't draw his eyes away from the Jester's once as he closed his speech.

The criminal simply held the billionaire's gaze, and as Lex began descending from the stand, gave an imperceptible smirk, and a lightning fast wink, but held his tongue.

The Jester was absolutely shocked when the prosecuting attorney stepped up to the judge, whispered 'here's your flair', turned straight to the defendant's table, and called the teen criminal himself up to the stand.

Standing at the stand, he slightly zoned out as the judge's clerk, a diminutive woman, ordered him to raise his hand.

"…To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

The Jester blinked himself back to attention. "Wha? Oh, right. Sure. Why not."

The legal representatives in the room sent him mirror glares while the crowd mumbled in irritation.

The prosecuting attorney walked up to the stand. "So, Mr. Jester, tell me… do you have any regret?"

"Regret? Eh… yeah," That shocked the crowd. "Actually, I'm not allowed to lie, am I? Sorry. No. No I don't."

The crowd booed, and the Jester gave the attorney a flat smile. "Here's your flair." He whispered, just loud enough to let the man and the judge both hear over the crowd.

"Ahem," The attorney said, regaining his wits quickly. "Tell me… if you would, would you kill anyone in this room?"

"Objection!" The public defender barked.

"Overruled." Was the judge's rather exuberant reply.

The prosecutor raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

The Jester frowned. "Truthfully, if it meant I could get out of this mess… yes. But, if you'd all avert your attention to the banister, you will see one Batman, one Superman, and one Wonder Woman. Hello, Prince."

Diana glared hatefully down at the teen, her rage apparent enough for Superman to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Truly, and surely, I'm fucked- and don't _even_ get mad at that. We all know how much of a farce this is. Professionalism died _with this country_."

The attorney smirked to himself, apparently satisfied as the crowd exploded into more hate, the judge pounding his gavel against his table. With the teen's answer, or with the teen's false answer spoken only for showmanship.

* * *

And that was it. The jury hadn't even left.

"We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of all charges." The crowd cheered, as the judge pounded his gavel on his table.

"Very well. Jester, I sentence you to life imprisonment in solitary confinement at the Belle Reve Penitentiary."

The Jester smiled thinly, brain shutting down, eyes emotionless.

The judge stared at him. "And may God have mercy on your soul."

To hear everything in the world, the Jester generally had to be above the atmosphere, in the vacuum of space; noises around him tended to murk up long range sound.

The Jester could've been anywhere to hear the uproar from across the world. By his estimation; across the US, Canada, South America, Europe, the Far East- they all exploded in billions of cheers, in a worldwide celebration. Funnily enough… the worst homemade threat the world had seen had brought them all together, if only for just this… just this one true victory.

To them, the nightmare was over.

The Jester limply let the Marshalls take him from his table, and pull him away. He looked up at the banister, at the three heroes. He smiled thinly and simply mouthed 'bye.' And then disappeared around the corner.

* * *

 **-Months Later-**

It took longer than the Jester thought it would for him to be incarcerated. That of course, came from the… _experimentation_ , for lack of a better word, done on him. Top scientists from all over the world, Luthor's included, worked tirelessly, following the Jester's notes as they attempted to reverse-engineer the criminal's synthetic Kryptonian biology.

And you know what? Bless them, they succeeded.

The operation took days, some of which he was awake for, some he wasn't. By the time they were finished, he was a ghost of himself.

Skinny, paler than even he had been previously… skinny was a weak term, actually. He was absolutely emaciated, bones evident against his skin, cheeks sunken, hair, having long lost its artificial dye, a pale, thin yellow; more white than anything else. Blue and green eyes were simply tired and weary, even as they wheeled him into the gaping steel and cement maw of Belle Reve, the hot humidity of Louisiana seeping into him.

As they passed the normal prison block, dozens of recently captured criminals moved to their cell doors to watch in awe as he passed, not a single eye in the block moving from the pale figure until he disappeared from view.

The Jester simply stared forwards, not reacting to anything as he was wheeled further and further into the heavily protected prison complex, until the only lights were the artificial ones hanging above his head, the hallway too small for any more than one person to walk down at a time, heavily barred and hefty cell doors lining the walls on either side.

The Jester simply stared forwards as they found their way to the very end of the hall, a guard checkpoint to his left and the final door to his right. The guard manning the checkpoint frowned.

"Jesus, look at the little shit. Barely hanging on. What did they do to him?"

The guard wheeling the teen forwards shrugged. "I dunno, but-"

"He was imbued with a homemade mutation based on Kryptonian DNA. Removing it and returning him to a human state destroyed him physically." The Batman said from behind all the guards, making the armed escort collectively jump in shock.

Bruce, for his credit, didn't even react. He had to make sure that the Jester was locked up. Forever, if all things went to plan. The boy was his fault; he would make sure that he would remedy it personally.

The door opened with a series of hydraulic hisses and the sounds of gears moving, sliding open slowly, the door itself at least four or five inches thick of solid metal.

The trolley moved into the cell, and the guards- several of them sitting back on either side of the door, guns raised- began untying the teen from the gurney. The Batman stood in the doorway, holding the gaze of the Jester who sent it right back, mismatched eyes, though unfocused and… world-weary, for lack of a better term, were still vivid and piercing. As his head was unstrapped, it fell forwards slightly, pale hair falling into his face to block his blue right eye. His green eye never moved from Batman though, and the detective could vividly place the Joker's face over the teen's own emaciated one.

Bruce doubted he would ever forget that last emotionless look from the teen, as the guards rushed out and threw the steel door shut. Standing in front of it for several long minutes, he let out an audible breath of relief, finally shrugged the regret and stress from his shoulders, and left the prison.

* * *

Heh. This was it, I thought as I simply stood in the cell, orange prison jumper hanging loosely on me. 19. Took over the world, had it all in my hands. 19. Lost everything, burnt whatever bridges I had left.

19\. Stuck in a solitary containment prison cell for the rest of my life.

19.

Most people didn't even have a job by the time they were 19.

All things considered, I couldn't be too bummed. I knew, at the bottom of my heart, that this was how it would end. Every day I woke up and went to work for Scarecrow, I knew that eventually people would wise up; I wasn't insane, not really, not enough to constitute being in a mental asylum. Eventually I would end up somewhere that I simply couldn't escape from.

And truthfully, I couldn't be too bummed because… because I did something, didn't I? I took over the fucking world before my eighteenth birthday. I had been a thug, a civilian, a superhero, and a supervillain all before my eighteenth birthday. Most people are still figuring out calculus, or trying to get a date before their eighteenth birthday.

Hey, this wasn't such a bad way to go. I did something. I made something of my life, as short as it had been, and that's pretty fucking incredible. So what that this was how I was going to end. I could take some solace in knowing that my ambition, my hard work, had paid off, if only momentarily.

Hey. What a life, huh?

Well. That was it, then. That's what it had been. A pretty adventure filled life.

The life of a Clown Prince of Crime.

* * *

 **A/N: For a neat little final bonus feature, check under the author's note for a rewrite of the finale- with musical accompaniment!**

 **What a finale, eh?**

 **Hey. Wait. Where are you going?**

 **You didn't… you didn't think we were done, did you?**

 **No!**

 **Nowhere** ** _near_** **.**

 **We've still got a ways to go yet.**

 **Stick around for a bit… never know how much people can influence such a polarizing life. Jesus, what, did you think he was going to commit suicide or something?**

 **Suicide is never the answer.**

 **Deuces for now,**

 **-Infernokota**

* * *

 **Bonus Feature: Play 'Behind Blue Eyes' by the Who:**

* * *

 **No one knows what it's like, to be the bad man,**

 _"_ _So that was it."_

The Jester was handcuffed as he was lead towards the courtroom, Superman at his side, holding one of the teen's arms in an iron grip. The cuffs were inlet with a small, glowing green Kryptonite shard.

 **To be the sad man, behind blue eyes,**

 _"_ _You know, it's easy to think that everything was worth it. All the… shitty stuff you did, all of the mistakes you made. It's all worth it, right? But when the whole world throws it back in your face and says 'it, in fact, was not worth it' trust me; it's a lot harder."_

The crowd booed as the Man of Steel led the psychopath towards the courtroom, people lining up in immense crowds on either side of the police lines, jeering and throwing things at their oppressor, while he stared forwards quietly.

 **No one knows what it's like, to be hated,**

 _"_ _They promised me a trial by jury; I didn't buy it. No one was going to be looking at my side, there was no fair trial. Walking up to my proverbial death row, I was already obviously the most hated man in the world-"_

The duo reached the staircase leading up to the courthouse; standing on either side of the door, were the Justice League, Batman and Wonder Woman in front of either group, both staring coldly at the psychopath.

 _"_ _But when the Justice League hated me? I knew… it was over."_

The Jester smiled at them emptily as he passed, not giving them a second look as he was led towards the defendant's table.

 **To be fated, to telling only lies,**

 _"_ _But I waited. I let them pander and set this little charade to their own tune,"_

The Jester didn't draw his eyes from the front of the room, never turning to look at the seething mass of people sending all of their accumulated hate at him, never drawing his eyes from each witness lead to the stand.

 **But my dreams, they aren't as empty,**

 _"_ _And when Robin himself went up?"_

Robin stepped up, mask clad on his face as he peered down at his old friend, he stared right back.

"Do you swear to the tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

The Boy Wonder stared at the Jester for a moment. "… I do."

 _"_ _I did nothing. I didn't scowl, I didn't laugh, I didn't cry. Nothing."_

 **As my conscience seems to be,**

 _"_ _When you have the world in your hands… it's easy to remember what it's like to have nothing. When you have nothing…"_

"Ahem… _Jester_ ," The prosecutor said smugly. "Do you have any regrets to what you've done for the past few years?"

"…No." Was the teenager's response, to a roar of jeers.

 **I have hours only lonely, my love is vengeance,**

 _"_ _It's hard to remember what it was like to have it all."_

"Members of the jury, do you have our verdict?"

"Yes. Guilty."

The crowd exploded into cheers.

 **That's never free,**

 _"_ _But that was that."_

The Jester smiled thinly as he was jostled out of the way by the marshals, sending one last look up at the Justice League, sitting and standing on the balcony high above the rest of the room. His smile widened, though it didn't fill with mirth at all.

 **No one knows what it's like, to feel these feelings,**

"Peace." He said quietly.

 **Like I do; and I blame you-**

 _"_ _They spent weeks trying to do their best to reverse engineer my notes. I didn't doubt they would, I was meticulous."_

The Jester stared at the scientists surrounding him, flipping through his numerous notes, working step by step to reverse-engineer his pseudo-Kryptonian physiology. He even recognized some of the LexCorp scientists who had helped him in the first place.

 **No one bites back as hard, on their anger,**

 _"_ _But see, that might be the point. No matter what; the bad guy still lost. The good guy still won. No matter how meticulous I was, it wasn't enough."_

The teen felt the anesthesia shoot through his system like a shot of cold, blissfully feeling himself lose consciousness as he let his head fall limp on the table.

 **None of my pain and woe, can show through,**

"Maybe that was a lesson I should've learned a while ago."

 _The Titans laughed as Ace finished his joke, Cyborg pushing his friend playfully as the renegade let out a belly laugh, flipping a playing card around in his hands._

 **But my dreams, they aren't as empty,**

 _"_ _But that was then, and this is now. I remember the first time they paraded me about after they took my powers from me. The crowds cheered and followed our caravan as…"_

Weeks later, the Jester was dragged off of his bed, giving no resistance as the guards pulled the anorexic psychopath to his feet, dragging the small teen as if he was nothing as they prepared him for transport.

 _"_ _Think about that for a moment… they cheered for a dying, emaciated, husk of a_ teenager. _I might have been a monster… but no one,"_

 **As my conscience seems to be… I have hours, only lonely,**

 _"_ _No one,"_

The Jester stared forwards as the guards pulled him up to the gaping cement and steel maw of Belle Reve Penitentiary, letting himself be dragged to the Batman- and trolley- waiting to take him to his cell. He never turned his cold, mismatched eyes to either side, even as he was strapped to the trolley.

 **My love is vengeance; that's never free,**

 _"_ _Can say that I was the only one."_

The Batman lead the way down the dark depths of the Penitentiary, the emaciated, weak teen strapped to a trolley behind him, armed guards on either side of the mad man. The convoy stopped before the last cell on the solitary confinement block, Bruce Wayne turning to stare with regret at the boy he knew he made.

 **No one knows what it's like… to be the bad man; to be the sad man,**

 _"_ _But hey. C'est la vie. That's life- correction. That's the life…"_

The Jester stared forwards, out of his cell wall as the sounds of the steel door's metallic locks one by one shut, green and blue eyes empty as he peered through the small bars- for the last time.

Then they closed shut

 **Behind blue eyes.**

 _"_ _The life of a Clown Prince of Crime. Heh. Roll credits."_


End file.
